As part of a project on Negro employment in the South, this study considers two indicators of the employment status of blacks in the Houston labor market: (1) a penetration rate which shows the degree of entrance into various employment categories, and (2) an index of occupational positions which measures relative status in these categories. In addition, programs to improve black employment patterns are described. The findings indicate structural imbalances; the employment position of blacks in Houston is below average for the nation and typical of the South, in spite of the city's growing economy and shortage of manpower. Noting the outright exclusion of black women from most jobs, the study recommends training to upgrade black men and pressure to eliminate the discriminatory hiring practices which bar black women from employment. (BH)