Employment Experiences of Public Housing Residents

Public housing residents are commonly thought to be harder to employ than other low-income working-age populations, but a recent study documents substantial connections between this population and the labor markets. Using survey data from eight public housing developments participating in the Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families, the study found that more than half of all residents responding in the mid-1990s were currently employed, and more than 90 percent had been employed at some point in their lives. Fewer than 10 percent never held a job.

Building on these new insights into public housing residents’ relationship to the labor market, future studies from Jobs-Plus will explore how financial incentives, employment services, and the reinforcement of community supports for work can increase residents’ success in the labor market.

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