9 – 3 3 ), ▁the ▁output ▁of ▁heavy ▁industry ▁fell ▁by ▁a ▁third , ▁employ ment ▁prof its ▁pl ung ed ▁in ▁nearly ▁all ▁se ctors . ▁At ▁the ▁depth ▁in ▁summer ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁registered ▁un emp loy ed ▁number ed ▁ 3 . 5 ▁million , ▁and ▁many ▁more ▁had ▁only ▁part - time ▁employ ment . ▁ ▁Part icular ly ▁hard est ▁hit ▁by ▁economic ▁problems ▁were ▁the ▁industrial ▁and ▁min ing ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England , ▁Scotland , ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁and ▁Wales . ▁Un emp loyment ▁reached ▁ 7 0 % ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁( with ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 ▁million ▁out ▁of ▁work ▁nation ally ) ▁and ▁many ▁families ▁dep ended ▁entirely ▁on ▁pay ments ▁from ▁local ▁government ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁do le . ▁ ▁Polit ically ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁domin ated ▁the ▁era ▁and ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁was ▁seriously ▁hurt . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 9 – 3 2 ▁broke ▁out ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁was ▁still ▁far ▁from ▁having ▁recovered ▁from ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁Econom ist ▁Lee ▁O han ian ▁showed ▁that ▁economic ▁output ▁fell ▁by ▁ 2 5 % ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁recover ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁suffered