Earnings

Earnings

Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $1,673 per year). GAIN, a mandatory welfare-to-work program, provided a series of education, training, and job search activities to help recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) increase their employment and earnings. 

These are the five interventions with the largest effects. See Exhibit 1 for all interventions.
Employment

Employment

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) (as compared with MFIP Incentives Only) had the largest effects on long-term employment (an average of 3 percentage points). MFIP used financial work incentives and mandatory employment and training activities to increase employment and reduce poverty among recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). This evaluation directly compared MFIP with a separate intervention, MFIP Incentives Only, to better understand which of the two interventions might be more effective; the distinctive feature of MFIP is mandatory employment and training activities.

These are the five interventions with the largest effects. See Exhibit 1 for all interventions.
Public benefit receipt

Public benefit receipt

Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $113 per year). GAIN, a mandatory welfare-to-work program, provided a series of education, training, and job search activities to help recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) increase their employment and earnings. 

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN)
$113

Decrease long-term benefit receipt

Transitional Community Jobs Program

Intervention (standard name)
Transitional Community Jobs Program

TANF recipients participating in the Transitional Community Jobs Program worked with staff at program intake to assess employment barriers and completed a drug test and basic education assessment. Those with substance use disorders were referred for substance use treatment before resuming the program. After intake, participants attended mandatory job-skills classes, which addressed work-appropriate soft skills. They also participated in weekly meetings with program staff to develop a plan to obtain employment and pursue opportunities identified by job developers.

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