Question

Describe how the US economy was impacted by the Second World War and in what ways woman's lives were affected.

Book: Born of Liberty by Sara M. Evans

Answer 1

World War II is also mistakenly described as the first time that American women have served outside the home in significant numbers. In fact, in 1940, about a quarter of women worked outside the home. Prior to the Second World War, however, paid labor for women was largely confined to "traditional female" occupations, such as typing or sewing, and most women were expected to leave the workforce as soon as they had children, if not as soon as they married.

America 's involvement in World War II had a significant impact on the economy and labor force of the United States. The United States was still recovering from the impact of the Great Depression and the unemployment rate was around 25%. Eventually, our participation in the war changed that pace. American factories have been refurbished to manufacture goods to sustain the war effort, and the unemployment rate has fallen to about 10% almost overnight. As more men were sent out to fight, women were hired to take over their positions on the assembly lines. Women were generally discouraged from working outside the home before the Second World War.

The Second World War changed both the type of work women did and the amount they did. Five million women joined the workforce between 1940 and 1945. The labor force gap created by the leaving soldiers meant opportunities for women. In particular, the Second World War prompted many women to take up jobs in defense plants and factories around the world. These jobs offered unprecedented opportunities to move into occupations previously thought to be limited to men , especially the aircraft industry, where the majority of employees were women by 1943.

Working women , particularly mothers, faced tremendous difficulties during the Second World War. In an attempt to resolve the dual role of women as workers and mothers, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded her husband Franklin Delano Roosevelt to authorize the first US government childcare facilities under the Community Facilities Act of 1942. Eventually, seven centers were built to serve 105,000 children. The First Lady also urged industry leaders to build model childcare facilities for their employees. However, these efforts did not meet the full need for childcare for working mothers.

There was also some societal opposition to women going to work in these male-dominated societies. In order to attract women to work in factories, the government launched a marketing campaign based on a woman known as Rosie the Riveter. Rosie has been tough yet feminine. To convince people that the demands of war would not make women too masculine, some factories gave female workers lessons on how to apply makeup, and cosmetics were never rationed during the war. Holding American women looking their best was believed to be vital to morality.