This excerpt from Coming of Age in Essex County (1937) analyzes the aspirations and community-oriented desires of over 10,000 white youths aged 16–24 in Newark, New Jersey, during the Depression era. Drawing on extensive interview data, Paul F. Lazarsfeld explores what young people believe communities can do for them, their preferred occupations, and desired fields of study. Results indicate that both male and female youths prioritized employment, recreation, and education, though in differing proportions depending on gender, social group, and prior work experience. For instance, unemployed youths with prior work history expressed stronger desires for re-employment than those who had never worked, suggesting the psychological impact of both economic necessity and the absence of meaningful activity. Occupational preferences revealed a marked orientation toward white-collar work among both sexes, especially clerical and commercial fields for girls and skilled manual work for boys, with students disproportionately aspiring to professional careers. Choices of study similarly reflected vocational ambitions more than purely academic interests, with boys drawn to technical and mechanical training and girls favoring business, crafts, and nursing-related programs. Variations across employed, unemployed, student, and housewife groups highlight how social position and gender shape aspirations, while persistent proportions of “no choice” responses point to indecision or resignation under economic constraint. Overall, the findings illuminate the interplay of economic structure, gender roles, and educational opportunity in shaping the ambitions of Depression-era youth, and contribute to understanding the social psychology of generational outlooks during periods of economic uncertainty.