Many women joined the workforce, but the jobs were mainly in nursing, housekeeping, and clerical work. Women began working in factories and shipyards, doing jobs previously held by men. Women joined the military and served in combat for the first time.

Women had to pick up where men left of, meaning many women had to step up and do the work of men as many of them were fighting the war, women worked in many places like post offices and local shops, but the most important work they did was in factories like building munition for the war and putting themselves at risk …

Terms in this set (9) Women were paid less, promoted less and many women lost their jobs at the end of the war ! This gave women the chance to prove their worth! Suffragettes demanded votes for women on the same terms as men.

With men away to serve in the military and demands for war material increasing, manufacturing jobs opened up to women and upped their earning power. Yet women’s employment was only encouraged as long as the war was on. Once the war was over, federal and civilian policies replaced women workers with men.

How did women and minorities join in the war effort? Women and minorities joined war effort by serving in military, even if not in combat. Factories changed to war production, women and African Americans got jobs, and the media turned to patriotic products.

While the YWCA’s largest contribution to the war effort was its work among female workers in war industries, the association also operated Hostess Houses in military training camps. These Houses served as “homes away from home” designed to entertain wives and mothers who came to visit their husbands and sons.

The second is that World War II gave many minority Americans–and women of all races–an economic and psychological boost. The needs of defense industries, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s desire to counter Axis propaganda, opened skilled, high-paying jobs to people who had never had a chance at them before.

What was life like on the homefront for women and minorities? It was hard for them because women had to work the man’s job and minorities also had to work because of the lack of men.

Among morale-boosting activities that also benefited combat efforts, the home front engaged in a variety of scrap drives for materials crucial to the war effort such as metal, rubber, and rags. Such drives helped strengthen civilian morale and support for the war effort.

Cafeterias and restrooms were segregated. Black workers entered work through separate doors and lived in separate, often inferior housing. African Americans were frequently paid less, assigned more menial jobs, and denied the chance for advancement.

Food, gas and clothing were rationed. Communities conducted scrap metal drives. To help build the armaments necessary to win the war, women found employment as electricians, welders and riveters in defense plants. Japanese Americans had their rights as citizens stripped from them.

America’s involvement in World War II had a significant impact on the economy and workforce of the United States. American factories were retooled to produce goods to support the war effort and almost overnight the unemployment rate dropped to around 10%. …

Over a million were evacuated from towns and cities and had to adjust to separation from family and friends. Many of those who stayed, endured bombing raids and were injured or made homeless. All had to deal with the threat of gas attack, air raid precautions (ARP), rationing, changes at school and in their daily life.