This analysis addresses the role of car usage in employment outcomes such as employment status, average weekly wages, and weeks worked per year. It postulates that car ownership is an important employment tool for adults of low educational attainment in Portland, even in the context of other factors such as social networks/resources (social capital) and literacy skills (human capital). This research used data from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning to examine the role of car usage in employment outcomes. The results indicate a strong relationship between car ownership and employment status, average weekly wage, and weeks worked per year. Additional analysis shows that this relationship remains strong even when other factors, such as education level, literacy proficiency, and social networks are accounted for in the model. Interestingly, the relationship varied by gender. Car usage generally was more influential in the employment outcomes of men than of women. These results show that car usage is important for non-high school graduates in Portland, and that while literacy proficiency is important as well, its impact is separate from car ownership. This work seems to suggest some directions for programs geared toward helping individuals with low educational attainment find and maintain employment. The answer may not necessarily lie solely with car ownership assistance; indeed, as suggested by this research, a combination of literacy proficiency training and flexible transportation alternatives would likely have the greatest impact. (Contains 9 tables, 7 footnotes, and 1 figure.)