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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Unemployment After Welfare Reform, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Unemployment After Welfare Reform, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Profiling For Public Workforce Investment Programs In The United States, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner, Randall W. Eberts Feb 2015

Profiling For Public Workforce Investment Programs In The United States, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner, Randall W. Eberts

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Elements Of A Service Referral Algorithm For A Frontline Decision Support System For Washington Workfirst, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang Feb 2015

Elements Of A Service Referral Algorithm For A Frontline Decision Support System For Washington Workfirst, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes? A Pilot Analysis With Welfare Clients, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes? A Pilot Analysis With Welfare Clients, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

We draw upon administrative data from an unusual policy experiment in the state of Michigan to study the effects of temporary agency employment among welfare-to-work clients on job retention, program recidivism, and earnings. To identify these effects, we exploit the fact that welfare-to-work clients in one Michigan county were randomly assigned to service providers who had substantially different placement rates in temporary agencies but otherwise similar policies. Our findings indicate that moving welfare clients who otherwise would have been unemployed into temporary agency jobs provides some benefits to these workers, primarily by increasing their short-term earnings. Temporary agency jobs also …


Do Temporary-Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes For Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence From "Work First", David Autor, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Do Temporary-Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes For Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence From "Work First", David Autor, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Temporary Agency Employment: A Way Out Of Poverty?, David Autor, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Temporary Agency Employment: A Way Out Of Poverty?, David Autor, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Temporary Agency Employment As A Way Out Of Poverty?, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Temporary Agency Employment As A Way Out Of Poverty?, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

The high incidence of temporary agency employment among participants in government employment programs has catalyzed debate about whether these jobs help the poor transition into stable employment and out of poverty. We provide direct evidence on this question through analysis of a Michigan welfare-to-work program in which program participants were randomly allocated across service providers ('contractors') with different job placement practices. We draw on a telephone survey of contractors and on administrative program data linked with wage records data on all participants entering the program over a three-and-a half-year period. Our survey evidence documents a consensus among contractors that temporary …


Do Temporary Jobs Help Low-Skilled Workers? Surprising Data From Detroit, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Do Temporary Jobs Help Low-Skilled Workers? Surprising Data From Detroit, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes For Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence From Random Assignments, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes For Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence From Random Assignments, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

A disproportionate share of low-skilled U.S. workers is employed by temporary help firms. These firms offer rapid entry into paid employment, but temporary help jobs are typically brief and it is unknown whether they foster longer-term employment. We draw upon an unusual, large-scale policy experiment in the state of Michigan to evaluate whether holding temporary help jobs facilitates labor market advancement for low-skilled workers. To identify these effects, we exploit the random assignment of welfare-to-work clients across numerous welfare service providers in a major metropolitan area. These providers feature substantially different placement rates at temporary help jobs but offer otherwise …


Does Temporary Agency Employment Offer A Way Out Of Poverty?, Susan Houseman, David Autor Feb 2015

Does Temporary Agency Employment Offer A Way Out Of Poverty?, Susan Houseman, David Autor

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


The Role Of Temporary Employment Agencies In Welfare To Work: Part Of The Problem Or Part Of The Solution?, Susan Houseman, David Autor Feb 2015

The Role Of Temporary Employment Agencies In Welfare To Work: Part Of The Problem Or Part Of The Solution?, Susan Houseman, David Autor

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Targeting Job Retention Services For Welfare Recipients, Anu Rangarajan, Peter Schochet, Dexter Chu, Timothy Bartik, Donald Oellerich Jan 2015

Targeting Job Retention Services For Welfare Recipients, Anu Rangarajan, Peter Schochet, Dexter Chu, Timothy Bartik, Donald Oellerich

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Spillover Effects Of Welfare Reforms In State Labor Markets, Timothy Bartik Jan 2015

Spillover Effects Of Welfare Reforms In State Labor Markets, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Will Welfare Reform Cause Displacement?, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Will Welfare Reform Cause Displacement?, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Performance Standards And Welfare Reform, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Performance Standards And Welfare Reform, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Using Performance Indicators To Improve The Effectiveness Of Welfare-To-Work Programs, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Using Performance Indicators To Improve The Effectiveness Of Welfare-To-Work Programs, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper argues that it is feasible to develop good indicators of the performance of a particular welfare-to-work program, office, or contractor. Performance indicators can motivate local offices, contractors, and staff to be more effective in achieving the program's goals. Performance indicators can provide information on what program strategies lead to the greatest long-run success. To be most useful, performance indicators must be simple and timely and control for factors other than the program's effectiveness that influence whether welfare recipients "succeed."


Short-Term Employment Persistence For Welfare Recipients: The "Effects" Of Wages, Industry, Occupation And Firm Size, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Short-Term Employment Persistence For Welfare Recipients: The "Effects" Of Wages, Industry, Occupation And Firm Size, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Using data from 13 years (1983-95) of the March Current Population Survey, this study examines how the types of jobs held by welfare mothers during the preceding year affects their employment and earnings at the time of the March interview. The estimates suggest that the wages of last year's job affect current employment and earnings, but the effects of wages are more modest than might be expected. The industry and occupation of last year's job make a great deal of difference, with industry being more important than occupation. The industries with the most positive effects on current employment are hospitals …


Displacement And Wage Effects Of Welfare Reform, Timothy Bartik Jan 2015

Displacement And Wage Effects Of Welfare Reform, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


The Labor Supply Effects Of Welfare Reform, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

The Labor Supply Effects Of Welfare Reform, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Will welfare reform increase unemployment and reduce wages? The answer depends in part on how much welfare reform increases labor supply. This paper considers the labor supply effects of the welfare reforms that have occurred since 1993, when President Clinton entered office with a promise to "end welfare as we know it." The paper reviews previous estimates, and provides new estimates, of how many additional labor force participants have entered the labor force due to welfare reform. I estimate that welfare reform from 1993-96 increased the U.S. labor force by between 100,000 and 300,000 persons. Between 1996, when the major …


Jobs For Welfare Recipients, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Jobs For Welfare Recipients, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Aggregate Effects In Local Labor Markets Of Supply And Demand Shocks, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Aggregate Effects In Local Labor Markets Of Supply And Demand Shocks, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Anti-poverty policy in the U.S. has emphasized labor supply policies, such as welfare reform or job training. Anti-poverty policy in the U.S. has not emphasized policies to increase labor demand for the poor, such as public employment or subsidizing private employers to hire the poor. What are the aggregate effects of such policies on wages and unemployment of different groups? This paper estimates and simulates a model with several types of labor, using data from the Current Population Survey on state labor markets. The simulations suggest that forcing more disadvantaged persons into the labor market can displace many other persons …


Employment As A "Solution" To Welfare: Challenges Over The Next Ten Years, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Employment As A "Solution" To Welfare: Challenges Over The Next Ten Years, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


The Use Of Profiling To Target Services In State Welfare-To-Work Programs: An Example Of Process And Implementation, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

The Use Of Profiling To Target Services In State Welfare-To-Work Programs: An Example Of Process And Implementation, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary information about the design of a pilot project to test the efficacy of profiling and referring welfare-to-work participants. Welfare reform requires welfare recipients, with few exceptions, to participate in work activities and ultimately become economically self-sufficient. Welfare recipients possess a wide variation in job readiness skills, ranging from those who are ready and able to work to those who face significant barriers to employment. The challenge of the local administrator of welfare-to-work programs is to target services to those who need them the most. Yet, most programs provide the same services …


Using Administrative Data To Evaluate The Ohio Jobs Student Retention Program, Kevin Hollenbeck, Jean Kimmel, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Using Administrative Data To Evaluate The Ohio Jobs Student Retention Program, Kevin Hollenbeck, Jean Kimmel, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

This paper presents findings from a net impact evaluation of the Ohio JOBS Student Retention Program. The JOBS program, a component of the federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children (ADC) program, was required, in all states, for ADC recipients who met certain criteria. The Ohio JSRP was an activity pursued by some JOBS program clients in Ohio to fulfill their responsibilities in order to receive aid. The JSRP was a three-fold support program designed to facilitate entry to and success in programs of study at two-year community or technical colleges. We evaluated this state welfare policy while simultaneously dealing …


Welfare To Work: Local Observations On A National Issue, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Welfare To Work: Local Observations On A National Issue, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

No abstract provided.


Net Impact Evaluation Of Michigan's Jet (Jobs, Education, And Training) Program, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Net Impact Evaluation Of Michigan's Jet (Jobs, Education, And Training) Program, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

The purpose of this study is to estimate the net impact of Michigan's JET (Jobs, Education, and Training) program. JET marks a change in the way the State of Michigan provides services to increase the economic opportunities of its low-income residents. In 2004, directors of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) created the Workforce Action Network (WAN), a group representing workforce development professionals, educators, advocacy organizations, human services agencies, and state and local government staff. The directors charged WAN with developing a set of comprehensive recommendations to strengthen the state's Work …


Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of The Work First Profiling Pilot Project, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of The Work First Profiling Pilot Project, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

This report describes a new assessment and referral system that was designed to assist local welfare-to-work program staff in targeting employment services more effectively in order to help welfare recipients find jobs. The motivation for the development of this system was the potential effects of targeting services to meet the specific needs of customers. The system is based on statistical methods and uses administrative data typically collected by welfare-to-work agencies. The Kalamazoo-St. Joseph Workforce Development Board piloted the new system by integrating it within the existing Work First program that it administers for the local workforce development area. The pilot …


Profiling For Public Workforce Investment Programs In The United States, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Profiling For Public Workforce Investment Programs In The United States, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner, Randall W. Eberts

Randall W. Eberts

No abstract provided.


Elements Of A Service Referral Algorithm For A Frontline Decision Support System For Washington Workfirst, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang Jan 2015

Elements Of A Service Referral Algorithm For A Frontline Decision Support System For Washington Workfirst, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang

Randall W. Eberts

No abstract provided.


Using Administrative Data To Evaluate The Ohio Jobs Student Retention Program, Kevin Hollenbeck, Jean Kimmel, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Using Administrative Data To Evaluate The Ohio Jobs Student Retention Program, Kevin Hollenbeck, Jean Kimmel, Randall W. Eberts

Kevin Hollenbeck

This paper presents findings from a net impact evaluation of the Ohio JOBS Student Retention Program. The JOBS program, a component of the federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children (ADC) program, was required, in all states, for ADC recipients who met certain criteria. The Ohio JSRP was an activity pursued by some JOBS program clients in Ohio to fulfill their responsibilities in order to receive aid. The JSRP was a three-fold support program designed to facilitate entry to and success in programs of study at two-year community or technical colleges. We evaluated this state welfare policy while simultaneously dealing …