One of the major impediments to research on the relationship of unemployment to youth crime is the difficulty in obtaining an adequate representation of youth crime. The cause of this inadequacy is the wide disparity of the use of the label; definitions of youth crime vary widely. Nevertheless, it can be stated that although youth criminal behavior and unemployment may not be causally related or correlated, unemployment is among the many factors which, in combination, increase the likelihood of delinquency. Support for this statement is found within both sociology and economics. Youth crime may result from economic necessity, unoccupied free time, or lack of identification with conforming members of society. In addition, youth offenders constitute one of the most marginal elements of the youth employment pool. Although Federal policy has mandated many public sector programs designed to cope with the employment needs of disadvantaged youth, relative success is difficult to determine because these programs have not been assessed for their impact on youth crime. Until 1977, private sector involvement was limited. Evaluation efforts focusing on employment and training programs for youth offenders have revealed negative results. The best approach to dealing with youth offenders may be to encourage continuation of school supplemented by participation in the secondary labor market. Secondary schools may need to be revised to meet current educational/vocational needs of underprivileged youths. The report provides 28 references.