This chapter considers some of the mental health consequences of work and unemployment. Two major changes involved the nature of work and participation of women in the labor force. This chapter describes each of these changes, providing a context for the consideration of the relation of work and unemployment to mental health. First, there have been a number of changes in the types of work available in the United States. Second, women have entered the labor force in increasing numbers, partly in response to changes in the occupational structure. The chapter focuses on the stressful aspects of work; the benefits of work are examined indirectly when the authors consider the effects of unemployment. Many studies have found that the effect of unemployment is more negative among persons of low socioeconomic status. Several investigators have shown the importance of examining the economic context in which individuals experience unemployment.