Employment Agency Collection

One of the numerous employment agency signs in the Harlem area, New York, 1943. Creator: Gordon Parks
New York, New York. One of the numerous employment agency signs in the Harlem area

Immigrants looking for work in New York City, c. 1910 (b / w photo)
PNP256705 Immigrants looking for work in New York City, c.1910 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

NYC: CONSTRUCTION, 1937. Street construction on 6th Avenue in New York City, in front of a crowded employment agency. Photograph by Arthur Rothstein, 1937

Unemployed carpenters and construction workers lined up outside the office of the State Employment Service in Starke
FLORIDA: UNEMPLOYED, 1940. Unemployed carpenters and construction workers lined up outside the office of the State Employment Service in Starke, Florida

MEMPHIS: UNEMPLOYED, 1938. Part of the daily lineup of unemployed men waiting outside the office of the State Employment Service in Memphis, Tennessee. Photographed by Dorothea Lange, June 1938

EMPLOYMENT OFFICE, 1937. Job applicants waiting outside the International Employment Agency on Howard Street in San Francisco, known as Skid Row, the district of the unemployed

EMPLOYMENT BUREAU, 1937. Men standing outside the employment bureau storefront in the Gateway District, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photograph by Russell Lee, August 1937

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY, 1937. Scene outside an employment agency on Sixth Avenue in New York City, December 1937. Photographed by Arthur Rothstein

Register Office for the Hiring of Servants, c. 1805 (pen & ink with watercolour on paper)
XYC281135 Register Office for the Hiring of Servants, c.1805 (pen & ink with watercolour on paper) by Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827); 30.5x42.5 cm; Yale Center for British Art

NEW YORK: UNEMPLOYMENT. New York City employment bureau registration desk. Photograph, February 1914

Florencio Arciniega, Jr. (right), a college student working for the Arizona State Employment Service under the federal
STUDENT VOLUNTEER, 1972. Florencio Arciniega, Jr. (right), a college student working for the Arizona State Employment Service under the federal UYA (University Year for ACTION) program

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"Capturing the Struggle: A Glimpse into Employment Agencies Throughout History" In 1943, Gordon Parks immortalized one of the numerous employment agency signs that dotted Harlem's streets in New York City. This poignant snapshot serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by job seekers during that era. Looking back to 1910, a black and white photograph showcases immigrants flocking to employment agencies in search of work opportunities amidst the bustling cityscape. Their determination and resilience echo through time. The year 1937 witnessed street construction on 6th Avenue in NYC, where laborers sought jobs at an employment agency nearby. The scene captures both hope and uncertainty as these workers hoped for a chance to earn their livelihoods. During December 1940, Marion Post Wolcott captured unemployed carpenters and construction workers lined up outside the State Employment Service office in Starke, Florida. Their faces reveal stories of hardship and longing for stability. A glimpse into Memphis' history reveals another chapter from 1938 - rows upon rows of unemployed men waiting outside an employment service office. Each face tells its own tale of struggle against economic adversity. Minnesota's Gateway District saw men standing outside an employment bureau storefront in August 1937; Russell Lee's lens documented their hopes for finding gainful employment amid challenging times. Arthur Rothstein's photograph from December 1937 takes us back to Sixth Avenue in New York City, where individuals anxiously await their turn outside an employment agency. The image encapsulates both desperation and determination within this bustling metropolis. Delving further into history, we find a pen-and-ink drawing from around 1805 depicting a register office for hiring servants—a precursor to modern-day employment agencies—underscoring how long this concept has existed throughout human civilization. Fast-forwarding to more recent times brings us face-to-face with scenes from New York City’s unemployment struggles—photographs capturing registration desks and opening days at employment bureaus.