tigmeister - you speak of 'labor' and working hours and entry of women into the workforce in such a theoretical way, I have my suspicion if you have any practical experience with 'work'.
I know 'work' can increase your means and your capital, if you are prepared to labour outside of your normal job, say on a home, re-selling it, doing it again, or developing anything really outside your working hours, or simply doing the extra working hourse (not so easy nowadays, I grant you) and in theory you can either gain capital or increase it - hence you can become a capitalist.
Happened to me, or rather I and my husband did just this. If he had lived longer I/we would now be petty capitalists - not necessarily employing anyone, but owning investments, or homes to lease out and get rental income. I know just such a person, who simply worked as a labourer up North all his life - his wife didn't even go to work - they are now classed as 'rich' people, because they bought things from the surplus which he gained from his physical labour, which is now bringing them an income, with the yearly, sometimes half-yearly cruises (yukk - I don't envy them the cruises) a nice home and very contented lifestyle.
Of course becoming a communist is so much easier, no need to work.
