The onset of the Great Depression affected urban unemployment in a number of ways. As the stock market collapsed, many companies lost access to easy credit and had to face serious consequences, ranging from bankruptcy (in which all employees would be unemployed) to massive layoffs. Urban businesses that stayed open often put out large signs stating they were not hiring in order to prevent inquiries.
Likewise, U.S. cities were flooded by rural farmworkers--especially those from the Dust Bowl--who were in search of work and had to compete with the city population. Sometimes, they accepted lower wages in order to obtain employment