Other
The economic convergence of American regions has greatly slowed, and rates of long-term non-employment have even been diverging. Simultaneously, the rate of non-employment for working age men has nearly tripled over the last 50 years, generating a terrible social problem that is disproportionately centered in the eastern parts of the American heartland. Should more permanent economic divisions across space lead American economists to rethink their traditional skepticism about place-based policies? We document that increases in labor demand appear to have greater impacts on employment in areas…
This desk reference is for state and local boards and staff and provides information on serving priority populations using WIOA Adult funds - recipients of public assistance, low-income individuals, individuals who are basic skills deficient, and veterans. (Author abstract)
A strong economy and stable society depend on the labor force participation of healthy citizens. Yet since the mid-1960s, the rate of American men between ages 25 and 54 (“prime-age men”) working or actively looking for work has steadily declined. Their employment-to-population ratio (percentage of total population group currently working) dropped substantially from the mid-1960s to 2016. During this period, marriage rates have also fallen precipitously, particularly among less-educated groups. Moreover, a growing research literature is documenting a rise in poor health and premature…
Other
This document presents a conceptual framework suggesting new approaches to improving economic self-sufficiency and well-being outcomes for low-income adults participating in employment programs. Grounded in research on the importance of goals and the factors that contribute to attaining them, the framework suggests interventions that seek to improve participants’ self-regulation skills and behaviors that can help them to achieve their goals. It also suggests ways that programs can change their practices to make it easier for participants to use their skills and increase the likelihood that…
Other
This review provides practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a transparent, systematic assessment of the quality of research evidence supporting approaches to improve the employment-related outcomes of low-income individuals. (Author abstract)
Other
This report displays and discusses some of the data related to the poverty of children and their living arrangements and data on male employment and earnings, educational attainment, and incarceration. It then provides information on federal programs that could play a greater role in addressing poverty of children through the fathers of these children (nearly all noncustodial parents are fathers). These programs provide economic assistance, family support, and job training and employment to eligible participants. The report also examines federal programs that have the purposes of preventing…
Other
The first webinar in the 2012-2013 IRP series, The Implications of Complex Families for Poverty and Child Support Policy, was presented by two national experts in the field, Maria Cancian and Daniel R. Meyer. We often think of families with children as including a mother, father, and their children in common. However, about 40 percent of children are now born to unmarried parents, and estimates suggest that more often than not, one or both of these parents will go on to have children with other partners--that is, the mother will go on to have a child with a different father and/or the father…
Other
This PowerPoint presentation describes lessons learned from past efforts to provide work-oriented programs for low-income parents behind in their child support payments. The presentation describes a New York state pilot program that substantially increased the earnings and child support payments of disadvantaged parents not meeting their child support obligations. The presentation was given at "The Child Support Connection: Giving Children a Brighter Future" conference hosted by the New York City Office of Child Support Enforcement on October 20, 2011 at the City University of New York…
Other
In 2006, New York became the first state in the country to enact legislation that consists of two innovative policies that are designed to help low-income noncustodial parents (mostly fathers) find work and pay the full amount of their current child support called the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. This report describes this initiative and gives detailed information about the five pilot sites that are providing employment services to low-income noncustodial parents in the following New York communities: Buffalo, Jamestown, New York City and Syracuse. It is the…
Low-income fathers share many of the same characteristics as women on welfare--low literacy, poor employment history and low-wage employment. This fact sheet proposes ways in which policymakers can build services to help fathers. Suggestions include (but are not limited to): Develop networks of local providers to provide men with employment assistance; use state institutions to refer low-income fathers to local service providers; identify "nontraditional partners" like voluntarypaternity establishment programs, HealthyStart and Head Start--to connect fathers withneeded services; connect with…
