Table 10.1 shows that, since 1929, by far the longest and most severe recession in the United States was the Great Depression. According to the NBER, the Depression began in August 1929, two months before the famous stock market crash in October 1929, and lasted until March 1933. Between 1933 and 1937, the economy grew fairly rapidly, so technically the period was not a recession, although unemployment remained very high at close to 20 percent of the workforce. In 1937–1938, the nation was hit by another significant recession. Full economic recovery from the Depression did not come until U.S. entry into World War II at the end of 1941. The economy boomed from 1941 to 1945 (see Figure 10.1), reflecting the enormous wartime production of military equipment and supplies.