University of California Transportation Center

This paper adds to the literature on work and welfare by examining the pivotal role of car ownership in facilitating employment among recipients of public assistance in California. In our automobile-oriented society, being dependent on public transportation significantly disadvantages many of this segment of the poor. As this nation moves forward to restructure the welfare system to promote employment for recipients, it is essential that policies and programs are developed from a sound understanding of the factors that are necessary to finding and holding a job, including the need for car-based transportation.