During the Great Depression in America, unemployment grew at a remarkable rate. At one point during this era, roughly 25% of Americans were unemployed.
When this many people are unemployed, there are several other problems tha arise. If people are unemployed, they don't have the ability to pay their bills (rent, mortgage, heat, etc.). Along with this, people who are unemployed do not have the means to buy food. This is where the breadlines come in.
These breadlines represent how Americans relied on assistance for organizations/government in order to survive during this era. This helped to ensure that Americans who were unemployed still had the means to live. However, this addresses only one small part of unemployment.
