The Decline

• Strikes

  • Strikes became more violent as their numbers increased.

  In 1929, a Police chief was killed attempting to break up a strike by mill workers in the South.
• Wages - being cut.

  • In 1920, the average rail worker earned $51,807 a year.

  This had fallen to $51,749 by the year 1929
• Jobs

  • Jobs were being lost.
  • In 1923, there were 862,536 coal miners working everyday.
  • By 1929 the figure had dropped to $694.494
• Employment was unstable

  • In the town of Muncie, Indiana, 72% of people were without jobs at some stage in their working life.