Great Depression Workers

Here are comparisons of the changes in the workforce in the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Depression today.

Great Depression 1929-1941
•Because of the conditions of the Dust Bowl, which made farming more difficult (if not impossible), many men migrated to urban centers to find work.
•When World War II began (effectively ending the Great Depression), women entered the workforce in droves while men were off in battle.
•FDR’s New Deal programs, which were implemented in the 1930s put hundreds of thousands of people back to work.

Great Depression Today
•Today’s workforce could potentially include four generations of Americans, as teenagers try to help support their families and older folks postpone retirement.
•Entire industries have been decimated, including the real estate industry and construction industry.
•Many workers who can’t find full-time employment are settling for part-time employment and/or contract work with no benefits.
•Many unemployed people have stopped looking for work altogether.
•Because of unemployment benefits that stretched into 24-36 months, many workers postponed looking for work and have fallen behind in their skills.
•Millions of jobs that have traditionally been performed in America (from manufacturing to customer service) are now being performed outside the United States.