Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Impact of the Depression 1931-39
- Unemployment figures
- 1931: National unemployment 23%
- Worst hit areas higher than
60% unemployment
- Badly affected areas
- Motherwell
- Jarrow
- Maryport
- Liverpool + Greater
Manchester
- West Midlands
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Government measures
- National Government - Coalition
- Unemployment benefit
- Means test 1931
- Designed to cut
unemployment benefit
- Families forced to reveal
savings + earnings
- Value of items measured
- Import Duties Act 1932
- Price of foreign goods
increased
- Attempt to stimulate industry
- Special Areas Act 1934
- Some areas badly affected
- Commissioners sent to attract new
industries to areas
- Effectiveness of measures
- Means test
- Humiliating for
families
- Created poverty
- Inconsistent
- Unemployment benefit
- Provided sustenance
- Didn't encourage work
- Import Duties Act
- Benefits in South
- Little effect in North
(more unemployment)
- Additional taxes - difficult to export
- Special Areas Act
- Success in Team Valley
- Only 15,000 jobs
- Reluctance of companies
to move to special areas
- Impossible to replace
heavy industry
- Rearmament + revival in
trade lowered
unemployment to 1mn
- Causes and effects of
unemployment
- Causes
- Traditional policies rather than
Keynesian policies
- Foreign competition in
new industries
- Less demand for British goods
- Industries inefficient
- US economy collapsed
- Effects
- High poverty - Rowntree's survey
72.6% below poverty line in York
- Health issues - diet very poor
- Psychological impacts
- Jarrow Crusade 1936
- Causes
- Jarrow dependent on
Palmer's shipyard
- Orders dried up 1930
- National Shipbuilders' Security Ltd. - buy
small yards + scrap them
- 1934 Palmer's closed
- Unemployment 80%
- Events
- Petition drawn up demanding
right to work
- 200 men selected to march
- Well-disciplined, led by
MP Ellen Wilkinson
- Accommodated by townspeople
- Results
- Plight of Jarrow publicised
- Marchers praised for discipline
- Returned heroes
- Some work in Team Valley
- Baldwin refused to present petition
- No work + unemployment
benefit stopped