Power looms saw an increase of female labour in the textile industry. Dixons brought in women to the looms in 1884, and this was believed to have been an attempt to cheapen labour. However, a standard of 35s. 0d a week was maintained, even though similar work was being done in Yorkshire by women for 15s a week. By 1901, a female labour exceeded male labour, until 1939, when the weaving industry employed 83.6 of all female labour in the town. This declined drastically, as during the War practically no carpets were made. In 1954, only 45.5% of labour was female.