Britain had suffered an economic depression that lasted into what would be known as the "hungry fourties". During this time, it was a period of strikes, widespread unemployment, poor harvests, and depressed trade. This was due to crop failures and thus this was resulted in the deaths of many who starved. This was where the new type of genre was created for literature: the social problem novel. This was how Gaskell was able to publish Mary Barton, in relation to this developing trend in fiction. Indeed we can see this throughout the novel. We can see people who were unemployed and thus needed to work in order to get themselves back in their feet.

Gaskell, Elizabeth, Mary Barton; edited Jennifer Foster. 1848, Broadview Literary Texts.

Sutherland, John "An introduction to Mary Barton". The British Library, https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/an-...