unemployment and poverty

cyclical unemployment

• had been a ploblem for the working class for many years , but in the 1920s and 30s, it was compounded by structural unemployment - a loss of jobs in the staple industries

• level of unemployment in these industries were always above average

• technological progress meant that there were fewer jobs availble in the old industries as more efficient scientifically based production meant fewer skilled manual workers were required

• many of the new industries did not require old skills and instead employed more white collar workers

technological progress

• technological progress meant that there were fewer jobs availbale in the old industries as more efficient scientifically based production meanet fewer skilled manual workers were required

• many of the new industries did not require old skills and instead employed more white collar workers

unemployment of uninsured workers

• although there were periods of economic improvement during the 1920s and 30s and regional variations, the avergae unemployment rate of uninsured worker between 20s and 30s was 14%

• as the depression deepened into the early 30s , there was an increase in the number of long term unemployed

• as a result, many families fell into poverty and neither the gov national insurance scheme , nor the old poor law relief offered adequate help

seebohm rowntree

• his survey in york found that 17.7% of the total population lived in poverty

• he reached the telling conclusion that the biggest cause of poverty was low wages

• unemployment was another of the main factors : it affected 28.6% of yorks poor

• however, the other main cause of poverty was little to do with high unemployment -it was old age , which suggested that the old age pension introduced in 1908 was inadquate