The Great Depression
Workers' Yearly Wages
What happened to farm workers' wages during the 1920s?
Salaries of farmers during the 1920s dropped a considerable amount - an average decrease of 180 dollars over 9 years, from $840 to $660.
What caused it? One thought could be the
drought in the Midwest dust bowl. It influenced more people to relocate into the city.
What happened to factory workers' wages during the 1920s?
Salaries of factory workers during the 1920s increased slightly - an average increase of 25 dollars over the span of the 1920s, from $1490 to $1515.
What caused it? During World War One production rates were up. Production stayed high throughout the 20's, but the over production lead to the great depression when the stock market crashed in 1929.
On the average, about how much more did factory workers make than farm workers?
Factory workers made an average of $774.80 than farm workers. The gap between wages grew from $650 in 1920 to $855 in 1929.
Florence Owens Thompson
Thompson lived in California during the Dust Bowl, or what many people called the Dirty Thirties. Wages during the Great Depression were bad - she earned only 50 cents for each 100 pounds of cotton picked. Thompson was the subject of one of the most famous photos of the great depression, titled Migrant Mother, and a mother of seven.
Life of a Factory Worker
During the depression, 13 to 15 million workers lost their jobs, many of which were factory workers. For those who didn't lose their jobs during the depression, wages fell. Homes and objects bought on credit were often foreclosed or repossessed, and homeless families moved to Hoovervilles.