This study examines employment decisions of 113 single and 322 married mothers and predicts that mothers were more likely to engage in paid work when the following factors were present: the acceptance of childcare from others, the association of positive meaning with employment, the importance of being part of the workforce, and the belief in enriched human capital. Mothers who believed that housework affects the ability to work outside the home and who adhered to beliefs favoring division of labor by gender were less likely to seek paid employment.