The number of miners employed in Wales before the depression was approximately what?

• A. 250,000
• B. 150,000
• C. 500,000
• D. 100,000

Answer: (A)

The scale of coal mining employment in Wales before the Depression is being tested. Coal was the dominant industry in Wales, especially in the South Wales coalfield, and the workforce was very large. Around a quarter of a million people worked as miners, reflecting how central mining communities—like those in the Rhondda and other valleys—were to the Welsh economy at the time. That level fits because it shows a substantial but not unrealistically large workforce for a nation with a strong mining base, whereas figures much lower would underestimate the industry’s size and figures that high would overstate it given Wales’ population and the distribution of work. So the approximate number is about 250,000.