(3d) The war and the economy, 1941 - 45

Question 1

What was unemployment like in 1944?

Answer 1

1.2%

Question 2

In 1944 how many women had entered the workforce?

By the end of the war how many were employed?

Answer 2

6.5 million

60%

Question 3

How many Black Americans were working for the feudal government 1939 compared to 1944?

Answer 3

Number of black Americans working for the federal government increased from 50,000 in 1939 to 200,000 by 1944.

Question 4

How did GDP change from 1939 to 1945?

Answer 4

GNP rose from $91.3 billion in 1939 to $166.6 billion in 1945

Question 5

How many hours of work were lost per month by women in Detrioit defence factories to deal with laundry?

Answer 5

Juggled with family responsibilities: women working in Detroit defence factories lost 100,000 hours per month to deal with laundry!

Question 6

How were women involved in the home front?

Answer 6

Home front civil efforts: Women’s Land Army and rationing

Question 7

What was the Community Facilities Act 1941?

What effect did this have?

Answer 7

childcare for women in defence factories - but had limited effect

Question 8

By 1944 …… of women were working.

Answer 8

By 1944, 43% of women were working

Question 9

January 1942: Director of the Woman’s Bureau reported ……….. women were involved in war work

Answer 9

2.8 million

Question 10

By 1945: despite racial and gender prejudice………… were employed in war-related industries

Answer 10

300,000 black women

Question 11

What happened to marriage and birthrates during the war?

Answer 11

Women: Traditional roles

Many continued in traditional roles: marriage and birth rates increased, population increased by 6.5 million

Question 12

What Hardship did women face during the war?

Answer 12

Many women moved to live near husbands on military bases, dislocation from family and cramped conditions

Prejudice and lower pay within workforce.

Question 13

What was the The Fair Employment and Practices Commission (FEPC) 1941?

Answer 13

Tried to prevent discrimination but there was little progress in attempts to enforce equal pay.

Unions reluctant to get involved in struggle for equal pay as when war ended men and women would return to pre-war life: in reality meant unemployment for thousands of women.

Question 14

in 1940 how many teenagers employed?

Answer 14

900,000 teenagers employed

Question 15

Spring 1944 how many teenagers were employed?

Why was this?

Answer 15

over 3 million, 1/3 of teenagers due to labour shortages

Question 16

……… % of teenage boys in work earned enough for disposable income.

Answer 16

66%

Question 17

What did many states have to change in order to employ teenagers?

Answer 17

Many states had to change their child labour laws.

Question 18

How many Teenage boys were drafted into the military?

How did Conscription age change?

Answer 18

1940 conscription for men aged 21 - 25, this extended during the war so that by 1945, 50 million American men aged 18 - 45 had registered for the draft.