Lack of adequate job opportunities at decent wages makes it difficult for young men with limited skills or educational credentials to get a good start in the job market. Young black men have been most seriously affected by the economic trends of the last decade. The erosion of employment opportunities and wage levels seriously jeopardizes the formation and well-being of young families. Results of these continued trends will include the following: (1) an inadequately trained work force; (2) rising poverty rates among children and young families; (3) lower marriage rates and greater rates of out-of-wedlock births and single parent families; and (4) increasing demands on public systems of all kinds. Recommendations for bolstering the self-sufficiency of young families include the following: (1) improve basic educational skills; (2) provide incentives for educational achievement; (3) provide work and educational opportunities during the summer months; (4) assist in the transition from school to work; (5) increase access to vocational training; (6) increase services to disadvantaged youth; (7) raise the minimum wage; (8) help poor and minority teenagers go on to college; and (9) supplement private sector employment opportunities with public job creation programs. Statistical data are included on graphs and tables. (FMW)