The Legacy of F.D.R.

Franklin D. Roosevelt led the U.S. through a depression and a world war. By the time he died, the nation was profoundly changed — and we owe much of the change to him and his bold presidency

The New Deal

EMPLOYMENT

dek — Everett
Workers' Alliance of America members.

The New Deal:
Agencies like the WPA, formed in 1935, were established to create work for jobless Americans, whose numbers peaked at 12.8 million in 1933.

Today: May's unemployment rate of 9.4% was the highest in 26 years. Federal stimulus funds are intended to help create jobs but initially only slowed job losses.

By Eric Dodds and Rebecca Kaplan