When Americans officially entered World War II in 1941, changes occurred for many people. The draft was issued forcing men to do their duty and fight for their country. Women were asked to keep the home front in check in many ways, from rationing, to volunteering, to saving bacon grease, and making the most of the assets they currently had. There was also a strong push for women to take war production jobs outside the home. Before the Depression, just a few years before the war, it was not uncommon for a woman to work for a wage, but with the arrival of the Depression, married women were at risk of losing their jobs. Numerous women were fired or asked to resign to make room for a man who had lost his job. Many citizens felt it was unfair for a family to have two wage earners when some families had none. (Kessler-Harris) Previously, the average female workforce was young and single. However, when war broke out, couples married at younger ages, putting the typical worker in short supply. This has led to a rapid increase in older married women going to work outside the home. “During the Depression, 80 percent of Americans opposed wives working outside the home. In 1942, only 13 percent were still opposed.” (May) At the end of the war, 25% of married women had jobs. (May) Although women had worked outside the home before World War II, their entry into the productive war workforce created a shift in typical gender roles and provided an exciting yet challenging time for many women who were earning their their independence. Various socioeconomic classes of women were targeted by wartime propaganda that mobilized them to “do their part.” Typically, single women from the middle and lower classes were recruited in... middle of paper... rejecting these ideas when the war ended and the men returned home. Their attention then turned to assuring the male audience that women were still women and downplayed the independence they had gained. However, those women paved the way for subsequent women to enter the workforce, demonstrating that even if their work was temporary during a time of crisis, they exceeded the expectations a nation had set for them. Works Cited Adkins-Covert, Tawnya J. Image Manipulation. Lanham, MD: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2011. book.Kessler-Harris, Alice. Women have always worked: a historical overview. New York: The Feminist Press, 1981. book.May, Elaine Tyler. Headed home. New York: Basic Books, 2008. book. US Department of Commerce. “Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being.” March 2011. Whitehouse.gov. document. November 2013.