🎶   I’ve Been Working on the …   🎶

Starting in 1880, most every census asked questions about employment.  The questions varied over the decades, but most censuses in this group asked whether a person was employed.  The exception is the 1920 census, which just asked what type of employee a person was.  In 1940 the census asked both what type and how long a person was unemployed the previous year, and in 1950 there was a separate section, asking eight questions about a person’s employment.

Questions That Give Answers

As family historians, these questions can tell us details about our ancestors, but two things in particular.  The first is their financial condition.  Obviously, just like you and me, if they weren’t working (or retired) and didn’t have a source of income, their financial condition was not good.  If it seemed like their financial condition was OK, then they had another source of income, and you need to find that source.  I am researching someone now who got into mining when he was a young man.  As he grew older, he seemed to jump around from job to job.  First he was a carpenter, then a miner, then a jailer, then a farmer.  The reason was not that he could not keep a job.  The reason was his mines were providing him with a living and he was taking jobs he liked just to pass the time. 

Their Environment Can Tell You A Lot

If your ancestor was not working or had been working only part time, you need to ask yourself if there was a reason.  Often the local or national economy caused a cutback in work or unemployment.  Looking at the 1930 census is a good example.  According to The Balance website, the unemployment rate was 3.2% in 1929, then soared to 8.7% in 1930, on it’s way to 15.9% in 1931.  There were many who lost their jobs or faced work cutbacks at the time the 1930 census was enumerated.  Whether or not the person you are researching was one of these, look down the page and at the next few pages to see what effect the economy was having on unemployment in their neighborhoods.  If your ancestor lived in an area that depended on one industry, then it could be even worse.  According to the Department of Labor, United States Steel began laying off workers at an alarming rate in 1929 until it reported no full-time employees in 1933!  If your ancestor lived in Pittsburgh, things were not good.

The point is that even if some of these facts about our ancestors seem insignificant, we need to ask ourselves why they happened.  After all, most of us have probably had a season of unemployment at one point in our lives.  The key is why did that happen?  Were economic conditions bad for their industry?  Did the major employer in their town relocate or go out of business?  Was their region in a recession?  Did they have to leave work to care for a sick family member?  There could be numerous reasons, and finding these reasons will tell you more about your ancestors’ lives.

I do realize that what I am telling you involves a lot of research.  At Heroes of the Past, we love research.  If you don’t have time for a deep dive into these facts, contact us today!