15: Changes in working opportunities and living standards

Question 1

What level did unemployment reach by 1931?

Answer 1

3 milliom

Question 2

What did the unemployment rate mean for many people in Britain?

Answer 2

Poverty and a life on the dole

Question 3

Where did new job opportunities come from?

Answer 3

New industries

Question 4

Why were the inter-war years a time for genuine economic advance for much of the population?

Answer 4

real wages increased in value. Greater spending power and cheaper goods, mean that middle class families could now afford a range of goods. This improved the quality of life for women especially

Question 5

How many new council houses built between the wars and how many were in new suburban estates?

Answer 5

• 1.1 million

- 90%

Question 6

When did Rowntree complete his study of poverty in York?

Answer 6

1936

Question 7

What were Rowntree’s findings (4)

Answer 7

• 3/4 of unemployed men and their families lived in poverty
• 3 shillings allowed for semi-luxuries
• The proportion of York’s population in primary or secondary poverty had fallen from 28% to 18%
• Found improvement overall

Question 8

When was the Holidays with Pay Act and what did it do?

Answer 8

• 1938

- Ensured that all workers had at least a week’s paid holiday

Question 9

How much did the amount of people with paid holidays change?

Answer 9

-From 1.5 million to 11 million by 1939