The Great Depression began after a period of economic prosperity in the 1920s. As the stock market crashed in 1929 and banks began failing, people lost their jobs and savings, with unemployment reaching 25% by the early 1930s. People were unable to pay for goods they had purchased or afford basic necessities, and many became homeless. The Depression began to lift during World War II as countries ramped up manufacturing to support the war effort, creating new jobs.