Issues: Work and Income Security

Work Support and Asset Building

MDRC has launched a number of projects aimed at fostering the long-term economic security of low-wage workers through more stable employment and higher earnings, improved skills, better access to work supports (like the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, and subsidized child care), and opportunities to build savings.

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Report

Nearing the Finish Line

The federal Family Self-Sufficiency program is a voluntary case-management and asset-building intervention that provides incentives to work for Housing Choice Voucher recipients. This report examines program implementation, participants’ engagement in services, and impacts on labor force participation and receipt of government benefits five years following random assignment.

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Report

Coordinating Services to Support Families

How do Head Start programs coordinate family support services and are their practices aligned with each family’s needs and well-being? This report presents case studies of six programs across the country and explores service coordination from multiple perspectives—Head Start staff members, families, and local community service providers.

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Key Documents

Issue Focus

Should the Government Subsidize Jobs for the Unemployed?

In this essay, originally published in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Dan Bloom reviews what research says about subsidized jobs programs – and how they can be a strategy both for tough economic times and for the hard-to-employ in better labor markets.

How a Safety Net Built Around Work Is Not Up to the Job

In this commentary published by Spotlight on Poverty, MDRC President Gordon Berlin makes the case for creating a more flexible safety net that continues to reward work when jobs are plentiful, provides employment to poor families when jobs disappear, and begins to address the problem of stagnant wages at the low end of the labor market.

Developing Low-Cost Solutions to Improve Public Policy

The Work of MDRC’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science

This issue focus describes how MDRC’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science has completed several large-scale field studies, incorporated behavioral science into other MDRC projects, and educated policymakers and practitioners about how to use behavioral science to improve their programs.

Head Start Connects Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Work Support and Asset Building Population: Children and Schools Families Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management	Grameen America Evaluation Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: New Jersey	The TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Evaluation Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services
MyGoals for Employment Success Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Financial Incentives Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: Maryland, Texas	Families Forward Demonstration Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Child Support Population: Populations with Low Incomes Families Intervention: Sectoral Training, Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Colorado, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington	The SNAP Employment and Training Evaluation Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Welfare Reform Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Reemployment Programs, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia
MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS) Focus Area: Child Support Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Welfare Reform Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Families Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools	Subprime Lending Data Exploration Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes	SaveUSA Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas
Paycheck Plus: Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for Single Adults Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: Georgia, New York	The Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management, Asset Building, Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: California, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas	Mayor’s Fund & Center for Economic Opportunity Social Innovation Fund Project Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Asset Building, Financial Incentives, GED Completion, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas

MDRC

Issues: Work and Income Security

Work Support and Asset Building

Nearing the Finish Line

Coordinating Services to Support Families

Should the Government Subsidize Jobs for the Unemployed?

How a Safety Net Built Around Work Is Not Up to the Job

Developing Low-Cost Solutions to Improve Public Policy

Head Start Connects

Grameen America Evaluation

The TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Evaluation

MyGoals for Employment Success

Families Forward Demonstration

The SNAP Employment and Training Evaluation

MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS)

Subprime Lending Data Exploration

SaveUSA

Paycheck Plus: Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for Single Adults

The Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation

Mayor’s Fund & Center for Economic Opportunity Social Innovation Fund Project

Work Rewards

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Work Advancement and Support Center Demonstration

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Work Support and Asset Building

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