ps1094a
Factory in Reisa
The shortage of raw materials and the loss of the export market, dramatically affected the labor market early in the war. Unemployment, which was approximately 2.5 percent of the trade union members in June 1914, jumped to 22.4 percent in August. Key war-effort firms lost between one-third and one-half of their workers in August 1914 to the mobilization. Other industries, which employed people in the nonessential sectors, lost between 66 and 100 percent of their workers. Even though the initial shortages were mostly those of unskilled laborers, skilled laborers also became a scarce commodity.
As early as mid-1915, skilled workers left the military to work in industries vital to the war effort. Of the 56,000 employees working for Krupp in June 1915, 22,000 of them were men excused from military service. By early 1916, 1.2 million men were exempted. By the beginning of 1918, 2.1 million were exempted workers. The number of women working in traditionally male roles exploded, and by some estimates, women operated roughly 80 percent of farms.
ps1094a
Factory in Reisa
The shortage of raw materials and the loss of the export market, dramatically affected the labor market early in the war. Unemployment, which was approximately 2.5 percent of the trade union members in June 1914, jumped to 22.4 percent in August. Key war-effort firms lost between one-third and one-half of their workers in August 1914 to the mobilization. Other industries, which employed people in the nonessential sectors, lost between 66 and 100 percent of their workers. Even though the initial shortages were mostly those of unskilled laborers, skilled laborers also became a scarce commodity.
As early as mid-1915, skilled workers left the military to work in industries vital to the war effort. Of the 56,000 employees working for Krupp in June 1915, 22,000 of them were men excused from military service. By early 1916, 1.2 million men were exempted. By the beginning of 1918, 2.1 million were exempted workers. The number of women working in traditionally male roles exploded, and by some estimates, women operated roughly 80 percent of farms.