This study by Paul F. Lazarsfeld and Hazel Gaudet, published in 1941, investigates the influence of social and personality factors on the success and failure of job-hunting among young people. Utilizing matched pairs of employed and unemployed youths (aged 16–25) from New Jersey, the research controls for age, sex, education, and occupation to isolate non-structural factors affecting employment outcomes. The methodology combines in-depth interviews with objective assessments, including intelligence tests, socioeconomic status inventories, and personality measures. Findings reveal that while both groups were similar in intelligence, appearance, and basic social contacts, significant differences exist in economic status and personality traits. Employed individuals demonstrated greater stability, self-sufficiency, and extroversion, but less sociability, according to the Bernreuter Personality Inventory. Personal contacts emerged as the predominant method for securing employment; however, the nature and number of friendships did not strongly differentiate the groups. Notably, unemployed youths engaged more actively in leisure pursuits, suggesting that excessive sociability may not correlate with job-getting success. The study concludes that personality factors—particularly motivation, drive, and cooperative attitude—are central determinants of successful job placement among underprivileged youth, proposing refined avenues for future research in employment psychology.