This document--one of six closely related studies designed to consider employability of rural labor, the impact of industry, and social adjustments in the Mississippi Delta and the Ozarks--examines the socioeconomic factors affecting employment in industry of black Americans living in a rural area of the Mississippi Delta. Madison, Arkansas, the study community, is 25 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, in St. Francis County. In 1970, Madison had 985 inhabitants, mainly blacks. Researchers hypothesized that the people in Madison might exhibit physical and attitudinal differences which would affect their employability and social adjustment. Also investigated was the assertion that a general "culture of poverty" exists, especially among southern blacks. Attitudinal factors affecting employability were measured on five scales by race, sex, age, income, education, and welfare status. Although black groups uniformly scored lower on a scale to measure socioeconomic status (even when balanced by income level and educational attainment), blacks did not uniformly have lower mean scores than whites on scales measuring social participation and job satisfaction potential. Nor were blacks more externally controlled or more tolerant of deviant behavior. Major physical deterrents to employment were lack of transportation and unsatisfactory work environment. (Author/JM)