On the way to work: Welfare participants and barriers to employment

The landmark 1996 welfare reform legislation required welfare participants to transition rapidly into the labor market. However, many welfare participants have not fared well in the competition for jobs because they face multiple barriers to employment. This study draws on data from a California job readiness survey of welfare participants to examine the effects of employment barriers on male and female welfare participants. The results of logistic modeling show that individual barriers negatively affect employment outcomes and that the likelihood of employment declines with an increasing number of barriers. These findings suggest that economic development programs intended to aid welfare participants in making a successful transition into the labor market must move beyond piecemeal approaches to meeting the needs of welfare participants and include comprehensive strategies that address multiple barriers to employment.