ABSTRACT
Among those who demanded that the unemployed solve their own problems, self-help was frequently the preferred solution. With regard to unemployment rates, there is absolutely no reason to assume that union members were more susceptible to economic fluctuations than their unorganized counterparts. By 1908, forty out of the sixty Independent Federations granted unemployment compensation which usually included travel and severance allowances. The amount of compensation paid for unemployment varied considerably among divergent professional groups. The general public attitude toward union control over their unemployed members hinged less on the question of administration than on the source of support. In addition to private schemes involving entrepreneurs in remedies for the unemployment problem, there were a number of quasi-public plans which required their cooperation in varying degrees despite reservations such as those outlined above. When the collective but private efforts of employers or employees failed to cope with the unemployment situation, it became necessary for the state to intervene.
