In FY 1996 ORR undertook a joint effort with States to improve State performance in refugee employment and self-sufficiency outcomes. States and California counties have been required since FY 1996 to establish annual outcome goals aimed at continuous improvement of performance along the following six outcome measures:

• Entered Employment , defined as the entry of a refugee into unsubsidized employment, either full-time or part-time.

• Terminations Due to Earnings , defined as the termination of a cash assistance case (RCA, TANF, and general assistance) due to earned income.

• Reductions Due to Earnings , defined as a reduction in the amount of cash assistance that a case receives as a result of earned income.

• Average Wage at Placement , calculated as the sum of the hourly wages for the full-time placements divided by the total number of individuals placed in employment.

• Job Retentions , defined as the number of persons working for wages (in any unsubsidized job) on the 90 th day after placement. This is a measure of continued participation in the labor market, not retention of a specific job.

• Entered Employment with Health Benefits , defined as a job placement with health benefits offered within six months of employment, regardless of whether the refugee actually accepts the coverage offered.

ORR tracked State and county performance throughout the year, with FY 2004 performance reported as follows:

• Entered Employment totaled 37,462, a 3 percent increase from the number recorded in FY 2003 (36,251).

• Terminations due to Earnings totaled 10,043, a 4 percent increase from FY 2003 (9,660).

• Reductions due to Earnings totaled 2,470, a 6 percent decrease from FY 2003 (2,640).

• Average Wage at Placement ($8.07), a 1 percent increase from FY 2003 ($8.01).

• Employment Retention totaled 27,773, a 9 percent increase from FY 2003 (25,518).

• Entered Employment with Health Benefits reached 18,104, a less than 1 percent decrease from FY 2003 ( 18,164).

In FY 2004, the caseload decreased by seven percent. A caseload is defined as the unduplicated number of active employable adults enrolled in employment services. The rate of job placements increased by six percent, and 74 percent of refugees who found employment retained their employment for 90 days, a four percent increase from FY 2003. Fifty-six percent of full-time placements offered health insurance, compared to 60 percent the year before.

Twenty-six States and two California counties exceeded their entered employments from FY 2003. Also, 28 States and four California counties increased the number of cash assistance terminations over the previous year.

Twenty-one States and nine California counties improved their job retention rate over the previous year. Georgia reported a retention rate of 100 percent. Retention rates of over 90 percent were reported in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Twenty-five States and eight California counties reported higher wages at placement than in FY 2003. In FY 2004, 23 States and seven California counties reported higher wages than the average aggregate wage for all States ($8.07): Arkansas ($11.16), Colorado ($8.66), Connecticut ($9.39), Georgia ($9.20), Illinois ($8.69), Iowa ($8.46), Kansas ($8.21), Maine ($8.25), Massachusetts ($9.83), Minnesota ($9.00), Missouri ($8.39), Nebraska ($8.99), New Jersey ($8.80), New York ($8.98), North Carolina ($8.38), Oregon ($8.16), Pennsylvania ($8.84), Rhode Island ($8.27), South Dakota ($9.87), Vermont ($8.78), Virginia ($8.46), Washington ($8.38), Wisconsin ($8.84), Alameda ($9.72), Contra Costa ($8.40), Sacramento ($8.85), San Francisco ($10.81), Stanislaus ($8.12), Santa Clara ($9.18), and Yolo ($8.56), reported the highest average wage at placement.

Shown below is a summary of the FY 2003 and FY 2004 outcomes for all States and by State. The caseload presented for each State and county consists of the number of refugees with whom a service provider had regular and direct involvement during the fiscal year in planned employment-related activities for the purpose of assisting the refugee to find or retain employment. For terminations, reductions, and retentions, each goal and outcome is also described as a percentage of entered employments. Some States opted to express terminations and reductions as a percentage of refugee cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than as a percentage of all entered employments. Health benefit availability is presented as a percentage of full-time entered employments.

In FY 2004 cash assistance termination and reduction rates are based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

In FY 2004 cash assistance terminations were based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Colorado expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.

Connecticut expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.

Delaware has presented its data on terminations as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Due to low assistance payment levels, almost all refugees who enter employment terminate assistance.

In FY 2004 Georgia presented its data on terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Idaho’s benefits are very low, most full-time placements result in termination, rather than reduction of benefits.

Illinois has presented its data on reductions and terminations as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

In Iowa, welfare recipients may receive an unreduced check for up to four months after employment begins. As a consequence, the State recorded few cash assistance reductions.