ABSTRACT
Unemployment was an important feature of Britain during the interwar years and a conditioning influence on economy and society. Indeed, unemployment is a defining characteristic of the period. The aim in what follows is to examine the extent, nature and causes of the unemployment problem which Britain faced in the 1920s and 1930s. Many industries dominated by female labour, especially in services, suffered rather less from unemployment than male-dominated heavy manufacturing. In some families, therefore, women became the main earners as a result of unemployment. The social consequences of unemployment were examined in numerous investigations which surveyed the income, mental and physical health, diet, attitudes and behaviour of the unemployed. All markets are social creations and this is especially true where the main item of exchange is human labour. In 1931 the second minority Labour Government disintegrated and, in the ensuing general election, the Party suffered a humiliating defeat.
