AbstractThe present longitudinal study investigated the relative influence or child, maternal, and demographic characteristics on the labor force participation of 93 mothers with young children in the New York Longitudinal Study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that child characteristics such as temperamental difficulty and the presence of physical problems were as potent as demographic features in predicting the mother's labor market activities throughout the child's early years. Conclusions were that multiple aspects of the context, including child characteristics, must be addressed if a more comprehensive picture of the employment patterns of mothers is to be gained.