As the economic crash of the 1930s dragged on, more and more people were ruined. Delinquent taxes, drastically rising unemployment and mortgage foreclosures were heavy burdens to overcome. Those factors forced ordinary people to either move into Hoovervilles or become transients. Between 1929 and 1933, more than 100,000 businesses failed across the nation. When President Hoover left office in 1933, national unemployment hovered at a staggering 13 million; nearly 25 percent of America's work force. Here is a brief overview of what happened:

Year	Unemployment	Employment
1929	2.5%	97.5%
1930	7.5%	92.5%
1931	15.0%	85.0%
1932	22.5%	77.5%
1933	24.0%	76.0%
1934	21.0%	79.0%
1935	19.0%	81.0%
1936	16.0%	84.0%
1937	13.0%	87.0%
1938	18.0%	82.0%
1939	17.0%	83.0%

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