Abstract
• A review was conducted of the medical charts of random samples of “hard-core unemployed” hired in 1968 and of “ghetto hires” in 1972. No unusual medical problems were found.
The attendance pattern appears worse than that of the general employee population but seems unrelated to underlying medical problems.
A very high rate of on-duty accidents was found in both groups. The explanation is not immediately apparent, but will be pursued further.