Labourers who had signed contracts of indenture and who had arrived at their various destinations faced a huge variety in the laws, customs, type of work, work hours, and treatment to be found at their destinations. Migrants themselves also varied widely in terms of age and health, and in how much money they were able to save over time, and in what they decided to do once their term of indenture was complete. Although there are some general trends in the movement and situations of indentured workers, it is important to stress the individuality of the workers themselves, as small differences in culture, strength, health, or age could alter their experiences over time. It is safe to say, however, that more men signed contracts of indenture than women, that women generally received lower wages, that shipping generally improved in speed and comfort as the trade progressed and that mortality on board the ship decreased accordingly. Increased regulation over the course of the trade also improved conditions for workers once they had landed in the places of their new employment. The exception to this latter trend was when workers arrived in places where the industry in question was on the decline or an individual planter was facing bankruptcy, as planters then had more of a tendency to work their labourers harder and withhold payment, making conditions even more comparable to slavery than in other areas or in occupations which were thriving.