How significant a problem was unemployment in the inter war years in Britain?
The First World War had a massive impact on Britain's economy. The outdated economic models in place were not sufficient to sustain a blow of such magnitude. Not only this but the empire that formed such a pillar to that economy began to diminish. Consequently the economy was left in ruins. Between 1914 and 1938 the amount of cotton processed in Britain fell by 66%. The coal and ship building industries suffered to a lesser extent but one that was still significant. Symptomatic of this decline was wide unemployment. The shock waves of which were felt throughout the nation. But how important were the effects of this on the lives of workers and how wide spread was the problem?
The loss of employment was caused by the slow disappearance of traditional work practices that diminished along with the economy. …
