. ▁ 3 . 9 ▁million ▁jobs ▁per ▁an num ▁were ▁expected ▁by ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁but ▁the ▁number ▁actually ▁clim bed ▁to ▁an ▁ast ounding ▁ 6 . 4 ▁million . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁the ▁number ▁rose ▁yet ▁again , ▁to ▁about ▁ 7 . 9 ▁million . ▁Finally , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁it ▁reached ▁ 8 . 3 ▁million . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁the ▁urban ▁population ▁increased ▁by ▁ 3 0 ▁million . ▁Un emp loyment ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁problem ▁in ▁late ▁Imperial ▁Russia ▁and ▁even ▁under ▁the ▁NE P , ▁but ▁it ▁ceased ▁being ▁a ▁major ▁factor ▁after ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁St alin ' s ▁massive ▁industrial ization ▁program . ▁The ▁sharp ▁mobil ization ▁of ▁resources ▁used ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁industrial ize ▁the ▁her et of ore ▁agr arian ▁society ▁created ▁a ▁massive ▁need ▁for ▁labor ; ▁un emp loyment ▁virt ually ▁dropped ▁to ▁zero . ▁W age ▁setting ▁by ▁Soviet ▁pl ann ers ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁sharp ▁decrease ▁in ▁un emp loyment , ▁which ▁dropped ▁in ▁real ▁terms ▁by ▁ 5 0 % ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁With ▁w ages ▁artificial ly ▁de pressed , ▁the ▁state ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁employ ▁far ▁more ▁workers ▁than ▁would ▁be ▁finan cially ▁vi able ▁in ▁a ▁market ▁economy . ▁Several ▁am bit ious ▁extra ction ▁projects ▁were ▁begun ▁that ▁endeav ored