n the depth of the great depression the unemployment rate in the united states was about
Great Depression in the United States The Great Depression began in the United States of America and quickly spread worldwide.[29] It had severe effects in countries both rich and poor. Personal income, consumption, industrial output, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%.[30]
Causes of the Great Depression In the first three decades of the 20th century productivity and economic output surged due in part to electrification, mass production and the increasing motorization of transportation and farm machinery. Electrification and mass production techniques such as Fordism permanently lowered the demand for labor relative to economic output.[46][47] By the late 1920s the resultant rapid growth in productivity and investment in manufacturing meant there was a considerable excess production capacity.[48]