How did World War I change the way of life for this group in the United States? Yet African Americans made remarkable progress in the workplace, occupying positions in the steel, automobile, shipbuilding, and food packaging industries. Between 1914 and 1920 the number of African-Americans employed in the industry nearly doubled from 500,000 to 901,000. After the Great Depression, pressure from interracial unions such as the Congress of Industrial Organizations led to advances in the steel and food industries. . In this way, many African American workers were able to access more qualified jobs and intermediate positions.