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I address this question through a mixed methods study of the experiences of Black and Latino young adults in labor market intermediaries (LMIs). Employers and jobseekers often rely on LMIs to make job matches. I combine qualitative data on four non-profit intermediaries that target Black and Latino jobseekers with national-level, quantitative data on intermediary use and job outcomes.

I found that specific LMIs--e.g. schools and public agencies--help these ethnic groups get jobs. Intermediaries can also influence earnings and job satisfaction. Additionally, I found that the effect of using intermediaries does not always accrue equitably. Using schools to find jobs yielded cross-ethnic gains in earnings while using family and friends only harmed Blacks. Next, I conducted an in-depth qualitative study of an organization serving low-skilled ethnic minorities. I found that through an LMI, this group acquired work-relevant cultural capital, and I specify in this dissertation how that socialization process occurred. Finally, I compared the job placement experiences of Blacks and Latinos across four minority-targeted intermediaries. I found that the programs gave elite college graduates an edge in competing for elite jobs, placed non-elite college graduates in the running for elite jobs, and brought high school graduates into the race for good jobs. These stratified transitions revealed that low-skilled workers faced relatively more turbulent pathways to career entry and needed continued support beyond the program period. I concluded that some labor market intermediaries facilitate upward mobility for minorities even if that mobility may not be enough to produce broader racial and social equality.