Although work, as a source of need satisfaction and self-esteem, is extremely important in our society, it has an increased meaning for people with disabilities because it permits them (and others) to perceive themselves as normal, competent citizens. This research studies the self-esteem of employees with developmental disabilities as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Thirty-five workers with varying degrees of developmental disabilities, who had been placed in competitive employment through the Focus Supportive Work program, were surveyed after 6 to 18 months on the job. A factor analysis revealed four sub-areas to the instrument labeled self-acceptance, assertiveness-anxiety, family, and social acceptance. Frequency distributions and chi-square analyses conducted on each sub-area for the client characteristics of male/female, age, degree of developmental disability, and work experience revealed no significant difference at the .05 level for each sub-area; but two characteristics evidenced a significant difference: (1) work experience in the sub-area of assertiveness; and (2) anxiety and male/female in the sub-area of family. An overall average of 90.7 percent of the respondents exhibited high self-esteem as reflected by the Self-Esteem Inventory indicating that a program which places, trains, and provides follow-up is of considerable value in finding jobs where persons with developmental disabilities can succeed, assisting them in satisfactorily performing the tasks, and enabling them to derive high self-esteem. (Author/LMO)