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Appendix A: Supplementary Tables for Introduction

The Employment Retention and Advancement Project

Appendix Table A.1

Description of ERA Projects
State Location Target Group Primary Service Strategies
Advancement projects Illinois Cook (Chicago) and St. Clair (East St. Louis) Counties TANF recipients who have worked at least 30 hours per week for at least 6 consecutive months A combination of services to promote career advancement (targeted job search assistance, education and training, assistance in identifying and accessing career ladders, etc.)
California Riverside County Phase 2 Newly employed TANF recipients working at least 20 hours per week Test of alternative strategies for promoting participation in education and training activities
Placement and retention (hard-to-employ) projects Minnesota Hennepin County (Minneapolis) Long-term TANF recipients who were unable to find jobs through standard welfare-to-work services In-depth family assessment; low caseloads; intensive monitoring and follow-up; emphasis on placement into unsubsidized employment or supported work with referrals to education and training, counseling, and other support services
Oregon Portland Individuals who are cycling back into TANF and those who have lost jobs Team-based case management, job search/job readiness components, intensive retention and follow-up services, mental health and substance abuse services for those identified with these barriers, supportive and emergency services
New York New York City PRIDE (Personal Roads to Individual Development and Employment) TANF recipients whose employability is limited by physical or mental health problems Two main tracks: (1) Vocational Rehabilitation, where clients with severe medical problems receive unpaid work experience, job search/job placement and retention services tailored to account for medical problems; (2) Work Based Education, where those with less severe medical problems participate in unpaid work experience, job placement services, and adult basic education
New York New York City Substance Abuse (substance abuse case management) TANF recipients with a substance abuse problem Intensive case management to promote participation in substance abuse treatment, links to mental health and other needed services
Projects with mixed goals California Los Angeles County EJC (Enhanced Job Club) TANF recipients who have been required to search for employment Job search workshops promoting a step-down method designed to help participants find a job that pays a "living wage"
California Los Angeles County (Reach for Success program) Newly employed TANF recipients working at least 32 hours per week Stabilization/retention services, followed by a combination of services to promote advancement: education and training, career assessment, targeted job development, etc.
California Riverside County PASS (Post-Assistance Self-Sufficiency program) Individuals who have left TANF due to earned income Intensive, family-based support services delivered by community-based organizations to promote retention and advancement
Ohio Cleveland Low-wage workers with specific employers making under 20% of poverty who have been in their current jobs less than 6 months Regular on-site office hours for counseling/case management; Lunch & Learn meetings for social support and presentations; newsletter for workers and employers; and supervisory training for employer supervisors
Oregon Eugene Newly employed TANF applicants and recipients working 20 hours per week or more; mostly single mothers who were underemployed Emphasis on work-based and education/training-based approaches to advancement and on frequent contact with clients; assistance tailored to clients' career interests and personal circumstances
Oregon Medford Newly employed TANF recipients and employed participants of the Oregon Food Stamp Employment and Training program and the Employment Related Day Care program; mostly single mothers Emphasis on work-based and on education/training-based approaches to advancement and on frequent contact with clients; assistance tailored to clients' career interests and personal circumstances; access to public benefits purposefully divorced from the delivery of retention and advancement services
Oregon Salem TANF applicants Job search assistance combined with career planning; once employed, education and training, employer linkages to promote retention and advancement
South Carolina 6 rural counties in the Pee Dee Region Individuals who left TANF (for any reason) between 10/97 and 12/00 Individualized case management with a focus on reemployment, support services, job search, career counseling, education and training, and use of individualized incentives
Texas Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, and Houston TANF applicants and recipients Individualized team-based case management; monthly stipends of $200 for those who maintain employment and complete activities related to employment plan

The Employment Retention and Advancement Project

Appendix Table A.2

Selected Characteristics of Single-Parent Families, by Research Group

Minnesota
Characteristic Tier 2 Program Tier 1 Program Total
Full sample Gender (%) Female 93.8 92.6 93.2
Male 6.2 7.4 6.8
Race/ethnicity Hispanic 1.7 2.7 2.2
Black, non-Hispanic 69.6 66.1 67.8
White, non-Hispanic 15.8 16.8 16.3
American Indian/Alaskan native 6.4 7.1 6.8
Asian 4.4 6.0 5.2
Other 0.6 0.0 0.3
Mixed race 1.5 1.3 1.4
Age (%) 20 years or less 3.3 3.7 3.5
21 to 30 years 48.4 47.8 48.1
31 to 40 years 29.5 32.1 30.8
41 years and older 18.8 16.4 17.6
Average age (years) 31.6 31.2 31.4
High school diploma or higher a(%) 53.4 53.7 53.6
Number of children (%) 0 0.7 0.9 0.8
1 33.4 36.6 35.0
2 33.7 31.4 32.6
3 or more 32.2 31.1 31.6
Average number of children in household 2.2 2.2 2.2
Age of youngest child in household (%) Less than 3 years 39.1 37.8 38.4
3 to 5 years 21.0 23.1 22.1
More than 6 years 39.9 39.1 39.5
U.S. citizenship (%) 69.7 70.8 70.2
AFDC/TANF receipt history b Less than 2 years 28.9 31.9 30.4
2 to 4 years 71.1 68.1 69.6
Primary language (%) English 80.6 85.5 83.0
Spanish 1.3 0.8 1.1
Russian 0.4 0.2 0.3
Vietnamese 0.2 0.8 0.5
Other non-English language 17.1 12.4 14.8
Unknown 0.4 0.4 0.4
Completed Baseline Assessment Data Yes 58.3 61.6 60.0
No 41.7 38.4 40.0
Sample size 845 847 1,692
Sample members for whom Baseline Assessment Data are available c Currently employed (%) 15.8 14.0 14.9
Hourly wage (%) Less than $5.15 5.7 7.5 6.6
$5.15 - $6.99 8.6 13.4 10.9
$7.00 - $9.99 44.3 35.8 40.1
More than $10.00 41.4 43.3 42.3
Average hourly wage (among those currently employed) ($) 10.42 9.67 10.06
Number of hours worked per week Less than 20 21.6 21.1 21.4
21 - 30 37.8 39.4 38.6
32 or more 40.5 39.4 40.0
Percentage working full-time (32+ hours) (among those currently employed) (%) 40.5 39.4 40.0
Employment during the past 3 years Did not work 18.1 15.9 16.9
Worked less than 6 months 18.7 18.8 18.7
Worked 7 to 12 months 22.7 20.9 21.8
Worked 13 to 24 months 23.1 25.1 24.1
Worked for more than 2 years 17.4 19.3 18.4
Type of employment in past 3 years (among those who worked) (%) Mostly part time 28.2 24.8 26.5
Mostly full time 55.4 58.8 57.2
Equal amounts part and full time 16.1 16.4 16.3
Current housing status (%) Rent, public housing 11.6 12.5 12.0
Rent, subsidized housing 36.6 39.8 38.3
Rent, other 42.3 38.3 40.2
Own home or apartment 3.9 5.2 4.5
Emergency or temporary housing 2.0 1.5 1.8
Other 3.7 2.7 3.2
Currently pregnant (%) 7.1 7.7 7.4
Body Mass Index (BMI) e (%) Underweight 1.3 1.8 1.6
Normal weight 32.3 33.1 32.7
Overweight 31.6 31.8 31.7
Obese 34.8 33.3 34.0
Severe domestic violence h (%) 15.5 12.4 13.9
Alcohol dependence i (%) 2.6 2.1 2.4
Drug dependence i (%) 1.4 2.9 2.2
Ever convicted of a felony (%) 7.7 7.9 7.8
Potential employment barriers (%) Poor child health 21.9 21.5 21.7
Activity limitation 13.4 11.5 12.5
Learning disabled f 18.8 17.6 18.2
Major depression i 28.1 30.2 29.2
Health problems d 33.4 32.9 33.1
Limited English ability 21.3 18.6 19.9
Any domestic violence g 22.6 20.6 21.6
At least one of the above 72.2 71.1 71.6
Sample size 493 522 1,015
SOURCES: MDRC calculations from Minnesota's Baseline Assessment Data and administrative data from the State of Minnesota.

NOTES: In order to assess differences in characteristics across research groups, Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables, and t-tests were used for continuous variables. Significance levels are indicated as follows: *** = 1 percent; ** = 5 percent; * = 10 percent.

Rounding may cause slight discrepancies in calculating sums and differences.

Unless otherwise stated, results are for sample members randomly assigned from January 2002 to April 2003.

a Those having 12 or more years of education are considered to have a high school diploma..

b This measure goes back only 9 years before random assignment.

c Information is provided only for sample members who completed the Baseline Assessment Data.

d If self-rated health as "fair" or "poor."

e Based on BMI.

f Based on the Learning Needs Screening Tool, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

g Based on the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale, "Yes" to any abuse. This measure is calculated only for women who reported being in a relationship at some point during the previous year.

h Based on the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale, "Yes" to physical abuse. This measure is calculated only for women who reported being in a relationship at some point during the previous year, which was roughly 84 percent of the sample.

i Based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Short Form.


 

 

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