Written just before the beginning of World War II, this is an early example of field research into human resources by one of the pioneers in the area. Ginzberg investigates why so many long-term unemployed coal miners in South Wales remained in their villages rather than relocating to other areas of the United Kingdom where jobs were more plentiful. The results of his work, originally published in 1942, remain of value both as a record of an era, an example of communities in distress, and a model of failed social policy.
