Interwar unemployment and poverty in the United Kingdom

[1] Unemployment levels rarely dipped below 1,000,000 and reached a peak of more than 3,000,000 in 1933, a figure which represented more than 20% of the working population.

A combination of a lack of pre-war technological development and post-war competition damaged the economy and the new industries which emerged employed fewer people.

[5] The Wall Street Crash in 1929 was responsible for a worldwide downturn in trade and led to the Great Depression.

As unemployment was not uniform across Britain, it was decided to concentrate schemes in areas of the country that were particularly affected by the economic downturn.

Economic measures included the devaluation of the pound and taking Britain's currency off of the gold standard, borrowing also increased.

There were also protests against the introduction of means testing and hunger marches organized by the National Unemployed Workers Movement.