EMPLOYMENT AND LIVING STANDARDS

• DECREASING UNEMPLOYMENT IN NAZI GERMANY

  • Reducing unemployment was a key focus for the Nazi Party:
  • Unemployed workers could support other groups such as the Communists if not properly helped by the Nazis
  • People not in work were not contributing to society or the economy
  • 1933 - 4,800,000 Germans were unemployed
  • 1939 - 300,000 Germans were unemployed
• NATIONAL LABOUR SERVICE (RAD)

  • Set up in 1933
  • Provided paid work for the unemployed:
  • Workers carried out public jobs such as repairing roads and planting trees
  • From 1935, it was made compulsory for unemployed young men (18-25 years old) to join for six months
  • The pay was poor and many workers complained about the food, having to wear uniforms and working conditions
  • There were 422,000 members in 1935
• AUTOBAHNS

  • The Nazis wanted to create a 7,000 mile autobahn (motorway) system to improve transport around Germany:
  • Hitler personally started the project in September 1933
  • By 1935, 125,000 men had been employed to build the motorways
  • Around 3,500 km had been completed by 1938
  • The Nazis financed other public work schemes in Germany:
  • Buildings, roads, bridges and sports facilities such as the Berlin Olympic Stadium were built
  • Spending on public works more than doubled from 18 billion marks in 1933 to 38 billion marks in 1938
• REARMAMENT

  • Increasing military size would make Germany stronger and provide more jobs
  • The terms of the Treaty of Versailles limited the army to 100,000 soldiers:
  • Hitler ignored this and announced conscription in 1935
  • By 1939, there were around 1.4 million men in the German armed forces
  • The Nazis also needed to produce more weapons and armaments to supply their larger army, which produced more jobs:
  • Spending on armaments increased from 3.5 billion marks in 1933 to 26 billion marks by 1939
  • Employment in aircraft construction increased from 4,000 people in 1933 to 72,000 people by 1935
• INVISIBLE UNEMPLOYMENT

  • Although Nazi Germany claimed to have a low level of unemployment by 1939, many groups of people were not included and were therefore ‘invisible’
  • PART TIME WORKERS - People who worked part time were considered fully employed
  • WOMEN - Those forced to leave their jobs and stay at home were not seen as unemployed
  • PRISONERS - Political opponents and other prisoners were not considered unemployed
• CHANGES TO WAGES AND WORKING HOURS

  • Most workers did earn more money under NG:
  • Skilled workers earned higher wages
  • Unskilled workers did not earn as much
  • However, wage increases were not as impactful due to higher food prices:
  • By 1939, food prices had increased by 20%
  • Skilled workers could afford the higher food prices and used their extra wages to purchase luxury goods like cars
  • Unskilled workers struggled to pay the increased food prices and were worse off
  • However, on average, the working week increased from 43 hours in 1933 to 49 hours in 1939
• LABOUR FRONT(DAF)

  • Hitler disliked trade unions as he felt they supported political groups like the Communist Party
  • Hitler banned all trade unions in May 1933 using the powers of the Enabling Act
  • In its place, the Labour Front (DAF) was created to control the rights, hours and pay levels of workers
  • However, the DAF made employment difficult for many workers:
  • Workers lost the right to negotiate improvements such as pay and working conditions
  • The maximum length of the working week increased by 6 hours
  • Striking was banned. Those who disrupted production were punished
• STRENGTH THROUGH JOY

  • The KdF programme was set up in 1933 as a division of the DAF
  • The KdF aimed to make work seem more enjoyable and prevent unrest
  • By 1936, there were 35 million members of the KdF
  • It provided out-of-work leisure activities, trips, holidays and even free cars to workers. For example, 400 sports events were organised which had 1.5 million people attending
  • The Volkswagen (‘people’s car’) was an affordable and fuel-efficient car that the average German could afford
  • However, car factories switched to producing armaments after 1938 and workers never received their cars
• BEAUTY OF LABOUR

  • The Beauty of Labour (SdA) programme was set up in 1934 as a division of the KdF
  • The SdA aimed to provide better facilities for workers to improve their working environment
  • It provided facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, showers and canteens
  • By 1938, around 34,000 companies had improved their facilities
  • Many workers were expected to build and decorate the new facilities themselves, for no extra pay and outside of their typical working hours
• SUCCESS AND FAILURES

  • EMPLOYMENT - Unemployment had dropped to 300,000 by 1939 however 'invisible unemployment' meant many people were still unemployed.
  • WAGES - Skilled workers could afford luxury goods due to their higher wages however unskilled workers struggled to afford essentials such as food
  • DAF - Workers could earn more if they were more productive, workers lost the right to negotiate and strike
  • STRENGTH THROUGH JOY - 35M Germans benefitted from the activities, Volkswagen was a failure
  • SdA - Many workers had access to modern facilities, workers were expected to complete the facilities