For many families, life became much
harder during the Great Depression.
In some middle-income families,
only the fathers worked outside the
home. When those fathers lost their
jobs, many people went hungry. At
the Great Depression’s
worst point in 1933,
one out of four
workers were
unemployed.
Many others had hours and wages
cut. The average family income was
$2,300 per year in 1929. That figure
dropped to $1,500 by 1933.
Many people believed at the time
that it was the father’s responsibility
to provide for his family. When
fathers could not find work, they
15
million
Number of people who
were unemployed in 1933
because of the Great
Depression.
• Families’ incomes
dropped by almost 35
percent over four years.
• Some went without basic
items, such as toothpaste
and toilet paper.
• People stopped throwing
things away and
repurposed them instead.
Families Have to Make
Sacrifices
Soup kitchen in
Washington, DC
2
8
