8 Things You'll Only Recognize if You've Been a Displaced Worker

As one of FDR's first New Deal projects for relief, the WPA employed more than 8.5 million displaced workers before 1943. These workers helped to carry out public works projects, like building new roads and municipal buildings.

The PWA was one of the first programs of the New Deal aimed at putting people back to work, by building bridges, roads, tunnels, airports, dams, and schools. This program helped to stimulate the economy and build the country’s infrastructure.

The CCC helped to employ millions of single unemployed men by also establishing infrastructure projects across the country. This helped to stimulate the economy when these young men would make $25 a week to send home to their families to help them back on their feet.

The FHA provided mortgage insurance on family homes during the Depression that allowed many families to remain in their homes if their financial standing had changed dramatically, which provided a sense of safety and security to those unemployed during this time.

If you were struggling for money this corporation that was founded in 1933 definitely helped you afford a home to live in, even though their loan requirements were extremely strict.

For many African American and other non-white workers of this time, this slogan was heard too often. During the Depression, employers wanted to hire all white men available before they would give jobs to black men. When workers needed to be fired due to economic struggle, the last people hired, often black men and other non-whites, were the first to be fired.

When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, the retired elderly over the age of 65 would receive a monthly stipend to survive off. However, many opposed this program since the average life expectancy at the time was only 60 years old. Some displaced workers also received payments to keep their families afloat.

This Act gained your trust in president Roosevelt because it made living much more convenient, while also creating more jobs by creating dams in the Tennessee Valley area. These jobs were given to displaced workers and provided electricity to the Tennessee Valley area, which was unprecedented at the time.