This book is a report of the process by which young men in low income black and Chicano ghettos enter the labor market. Of the identifiable groups whose employment experience is reported and evaluated in official censuses and surveys, none has suffered a higher and more persistent rate of unemployment than has the minority youth labor force. Clearly there is a chronic problem of unemployment and underemployment which persists despite cyclical movements, or even secular growth, in aggregate indices such as Gross National Product and total employment. Strong economic growth and full employment policies are necessary but not a sufficient condition for measureable improvement in the economic status of minority youth in central city ghettos. The research in this study encompassed close personal knowledge and contact of the group that was surveyed--young men and women living in the East Los Angeles and Watts areas. Interviews conducted focused on two subject categories: (1) the quantity and quality of labor market information received by young people and its effect on career aspirations and job search; and (2) the economic impact of the illegal "soft" drug (marijuana and pills) industry in the community. Based on these findings, chapters in the report are devoted to an overview of youth labor market, counseling and school experience, perceptions about labor market, choosing a career, and special obstacles to youth employment. (Author/RJ)