Unemployment in 20th Century britain Based on Gender and Age

            Unemployment has been a prominent feature of British society throughout the Twentieth Century; however, it is between the end of the First World War (1918) and the beginning of the Second World War (1939) that it reaches its peak. This time period from the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War is defined today as the interwar period.
             This essay is going to look at how the experiences of those unemployed in interwar Britain varied with age and gender in particular. Whilst looking at how the experiences of unemployment differ between gender and age it is vital to remember that there were also similarities in what they went through. It is also important to stipulate that age and gender were not the only factors which caused variations in the levels and experiences of unemployment in interwar Britain as this essay will show. Some historians will argue that it is vital to look at the bigger picture of what was happening in Britain at that time. This was mainly due to the fact that Britain was going through some major transitions at that time, for example: there were changes taking place in the economy, there was increasing foreign competition with regards to trade, there was advances in modern technology and there were also changes in government policies and new legislation being introduced especially with regards to the "welfare state". One can not forget the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which had an immense effect on all global economies. All of these factors contributed to the levels of unemployment and the experiences of those unlucky enough to suffer from it. .
             There is no better way for the historian to judge the experiences faced by those unemployed in interwar Britain than through oral and written testimony. There was a series of memoirs written and published in nineteen thirty-four in which ordinary working class people shared their experiences of being unemployed.