A survey collected baseline data about public housing communities and residents just prior to the start of the Jobs-Plus program. The data were from all working-age, nondisabled heads of households in eight public housing developments in seven cities with customarily high rates of joblessness and reliance on welfare. The developments were part of the Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families, a research demonstration project to improve residents' employment and quality-of-life outcomes. Findings revealed a more extensive and varied connection to the labor market than expected; slightly more than 90 percent of respondents had worked at some point; a majority were currently employed or searching for work; many worked only part-time; the majority were employed in low-wage jobs with no fringe benefits; health status was the factor most clearly associated with residents' engagement in the labor market; even with extensive data, it was difficult to create statistical profiles that accurately differentiate survey respondents who can be characterized as easier to employ from harder to employ; and across a wide range of measures (including demographic characteristics, incidence of domestic violence, and residents' social networks), no consistent patterns emerged to distinguish which residents were most and least actively involved in the labor market. (Contains 21 references.) (YLB)