Aortocoronary bypass operations are expensive. Economic benefit might be derived if such operations influenced the ability of persons with symptomatic coronary artery disease to be employed. Follow-up data were obtained for 329 survivors of bypass operations 2 to 60 months (mean, 22.9 months) postoperatively; 178 had been working prior to the operation and 213 were working at the time of follow-up, for a net gain of 35 employed patients. Therefore, bypass surgery does lead to a small but significant increase in the proportion of angina patients who are employed.