'In the old order, most people had a place in the world (the land, the guild, the church, etc.). In the new order, you worked 16 hour shifts just so you could eat and you had no guarantees'

I think you are romancing the old order.

Most likely the same kind of people (being most people) worked (or struggled along) for '16 hours a day' (for example on land not owned by themselves). Just so they could eat and probably without guarantees.