Both the literature and common beliefs suggest that unemployment increases family stress and child abuse. To test this idea, data were collected on monthly unemployment rate and number of child abuse complaints during 1978-91 in a rural county in the northwestern United States dependent on the lumber industry. Unexpectedly, the data showed that there was a strong negative correlation between unemployment and child abuse. Interviews with 50 families revealed that lumbering activities were usually suspended during the spring thaw, and that this period of anticipated unemployment affected families in positive ways, providing time for leisure activities and parent-child interaction. On the other hand, lumbermen worked long hours during the late summer and families in which child abuse had occurred reported increased job stress and alcohol consumption among men during this time and increased stress for wives from carrying all other responsibilities alone. Suggestions for social-work inverventions during high-stress employment periods include provision of support groups for mothers, parent education, and children's activities. (SV)