Study Details | Pathways to Work

26629.01-Study of New York Ci

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design that does not demonstrate that the intervention and comparison groups were sufficiently similar before the intervention.

Intervention: NYC Jobs-Plus

Population and employment barriers:

Public Benefits Recipients (Public benefits recipients)

Services provided:

Earned income disregards, Financial education, Job development, Job placement, Job search assistance, Peer mentoring, Soft skills training

Setting: Urban only

Study design

Design:

Quasi-experimental design

Study group formation:

Jobs-Plus providers focused on 18 public housing developments across New York City to recruit residents who "lacked meaningful connections to the labor market." Recruitment strategies included hiring community coaches from within the developments to help with recruitment and using social media, word of mouth, referral prizes, and community events. Although most participants lived in the selected developments, some did not live in public housing or lived in a development that was not within any Jobs-Plus provider's service area. Researchers compared earnings and employment outcomes one year after enrollment for 2,524 early participants (who enrolled between April 2013 and September 2014) to outcomes one year before enrollment for 3,710 later participants (who enrolled between April 2015 and September 2016).

Time period of study:

This study compared earnings and employment outcomes one year after enrollment for 2,524 early participants (who enrolled between April 2013 and September 2014) to outcomes one year before enrollment for 3,710 later participants (who enrolled between April 2015 and September 2016).

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Age

Mean age	30 years
Young adults	31%
Adults (age 25+)	69%

Sex

Female	54%
Male	46%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	59%
White, not Hispanic	1%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	33%
Unknown, not reported, or other	7%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were employed	22%
Were unemployed	70%
Public benefits recipients	100%

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education	21%
Had a high school diploma or GED	68%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	32%
Postsecondary credential	9%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

The NYC Human Resources Administration contracted with community-based organizations to provide Jobs-Plus services. The NYC Housing Authority implemented the Earned Income Disallowance and activities to promote community support for work. The NYC Office of Financial Empowerment oversaw the financial counseling.

Intervention services:

Jobs-Plus primarily served residents of one of 18 public housing developments in New York City and focused on individuals with minimal connection to the labor market. Jobs-Plus members received employment-related services, including job search assistance, job placement support, work-readiness activities, soft-skills training, and supportive services. Members also received financial counseling and assistance applying for Earned Income Disallowance benefits to avoid increases in rent based on increases in earnings. Jobs-Plus included activities intended to strengthen community and community support for work within the target public housing developments.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

Individuals in the comparison condition were those who enrolled in Jobs-Plus services in later years. After they enrolled, they received Jobs-Plus services, but their outcomes were measured one year before enrollment when they had not yet enrolled in Jobs-Plus.

Study publications

Leopold, Josh, Theresa Anderson, Marla McDaniel, Christopher Hayes, Sade Adeeyo, and Rob Pitingolo. (2019). Helping public housing residents find jobs and build careers: Evaluation findings from New York City’s Jobs-Plus Expansion. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, September 2019. Available at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/100991/helping_public_housing_residents_find_jobs_and_careers.pdf

View the glossary for more information about these and other terms used on this page.

The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

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Study of New York City (NYC) Jobs-Plus—Participation effects