The recession of 1949 led to a decrease in economic activity and employment. However, it was the mobilization efforts for the Korean War in 1950 and 1951 that further contributed to the economic downturn. The U.S. government increased taxes and implemented wage and price controls to help finance the war effort and stabilize the economy. These controls limited the growth of wages and led to a decrease in the average salary. The combination of these factors resulted in a decline in the average salary in the United States in 1951. However, the decline was temporary, and the average salary began to rise again as the U.S. economy recovered and the war effort subsided.