BACKGROUND: Over the past 40 years mothers with very young children have remained one of the fastest growing groups in the labor force. Unmarried and lower-income mothers are entering the labor force at the quickest rates (Burtless, 1998). With the recent overhaul of the welfare system, this shift into the labor market may not be entirely voluntary. Single mothers and minorities are overrepresented in the welfare-to-work population (Jackson, et al. 2000), yet little research focuses on the labor market dynamics for African American and Hispanic women (Reskin & Charles, 1999). Mothers of color may face conditions that increase their difficulties in finding and maintaining work (Browne, 1999). This paper focuses on the influence of family, community, and individual supports in employment levels of unmarried mothers with three-year-old children . The few prior studies that have examined the impact of race/ethnicity on employment patterns among mothers produced contradictory findings (for example, Shaprio & Mott, 1979; Yoon & Waite, 1994). In addition, the unique circumstances that unmarried mothers face post-welfare reform may affect their presence in the labor market. METHODS: Through a quantitative analysis using the Fragile Families Child Well-being Study, I employed multinomial logistic regression models using variables collected at Year 1 to predict employment at Year 3. I examined the influence of family supports including access to emergency childcare and housing, financial and emotional supports from the child's father, community supports including rent and employment assistance, and individual supports, including education level and job-limiting health problems. I also employed separate regressions for Hispanic, Black, and White mothers to access whether supports worked differently for these groups. FINDINGS: Although Hispanic and Black mothers had less access to family supports and lower levels of human capital, race/ethnicity was not significantly related to employment status at Year 3. Several aspects of social support were related to employment levels. Among the family variables, other arrangements, in comparison to cohabitation, increased the likelihood of unemployment or part-time employment. Access to emergency supports and the use of relative care increased the likelihood of employment. Among father characteristics, a poor relationship with the child's father was associated with unemployment. Similarly, the receipt of community supports was related to unemployment. Generally speaking, the human capital variables, employment experience, education and health, had the largest effects on employment for unmarried mothers. In the examination of interaction effects, the influence of social supports did not operate significantly differently for Hispanic or Black mothers in comparison to White mothers. IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study lead to several policy implications. First, access to childcare remains a barrier to employment for unmarried mothers. Second, successful job programs need to be duplicated in order to meet the needs of unmarried mothers. Third, policymakers need to recognize the value of a high school degree and facilitate degree programs. Finally, many mothers (over 10%) were physically unable to hold a job and this group of mothers needs to be examined in order to better understand how to meet their needs.