Partnerships to Improve Employment and Self-Sufficiency Outcomes

State Outcome Goal Plans

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 Employments, defined as the entry of a refugee into unsubsidized employment. 

·         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 Employments 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 2000 performance reported as follows:

·         Entered Employments totaled 48,900 a three percent decline from the number recorded in FY 1999 (50,173).

·         Terminations due to Earnings totaled 15,438 a seven percent decline from FY 1999 (16,531).

·         Reductions due to Earnings totaled 5,462 a one percent increase from FY 1999 (5,403).

·         Average Wage at Placement ($7.57) rose five percent from FY 1999 ($7.20).

·         Employment Retentions (33,743) a six percent decline from FY 1999 (35,739).

·         Entered Employments with Health Benefits reached 27,094 a five percent decline from FY 1999 (28,579).

These performance measure outcomes must be viewed in the overall context of decreasing arrival numbers, and a slightly increasing (one percent) caseload. A caseload is defined as the unduplicated number of active employable adults enrolled in employment services. In FY 2000 the caseload increased by one percent. The rate of job placements decreased by three percent, and 69 percent of refugees who found employment retained their employment for ninety days, a two percent decrease from FY 1999. Sixty-two percent of full-time placements offered health insurance, compared to 67 percent the year before.

Twenty-one States and six California counties exceeded their entered employments from last year. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Sacramento County exceeded their placements last year by more than a third.

Sixteen States and six California counties increased the number of cash assistance terminations over the previous year. Three States (Mississippi, New Mexico and New Hampshire) reported that every cash assistance recipient placed in employment terminated assistance after job placement. In Florida, 99 percent of the cash assistance recipients placed in employment terminated assistance after job placement.

Seventeen States and two California counties improved the job retention rate over the previous year. Retention rates of over 90 percent were reported in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Utah. Retention rates of 80 to 90 percent were reported in sixteen States. Among California counties, Alameda (100 percent) and San Joaquin (82 percent) recorded high rates of retention.

FY 2000 saw significant improvement in the quality of jobs found for refugees. Forty-one States and all of the California counties reported higher wages at placement than in FY 1999. Massachusetts ($8.75), Minnesota ($8.64), Mississippi ($8.50), New York ($8.44), Illinois ($8.35), North Carolina ($8.34), Wisconsin ($8.31), Kansas ($8.21), District of Columbia ($8.20), New Hampshire ($8.10), Delaware ($8.07), Iowa ($8.05), San Francisco County ($11.41), Santa Clara County ($9.30), and Alameda County ($8.56), reported the highest average wage at placement. Twenty-two other States and three California counties reported average wage at placement of $7.00 or above.

Refugees found employment not only at higher wages, but also with more benefits. Eighteen States and three California counties increased their rates of health benefit availability over FY 1999. Indiana found health insurance for all of its 323 job placements, as did New Mexico (172), Hawaii (11), and Arkansas (3). Nine other States—Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia—and one California county—Yolo—reported that at least 90 percent of its entered employments included health benefits. In thirteen other States, at least 80 percent of refugees found employment with health benefits available.

ORR also tracked the cost per job placement in each State and California county. This measure is the ratio of the total funds used by the State for employment services divided by the number of entered employments recorded during the fiscal year. The State average unit cost was $1,712 per job placement. The range was quite wide, however, from a low of $384 per placement (Indiana) to a high of $4,970 per placement (Delaware). In California counties, unit costs ranged from $1,053 per placement (San Joaquin) to $5,333 per placement (San Francisco). California’s overall average unit cost was $3,656.

Shown below are a summary of the FY 1999 and FY 2000 outcomes 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.

Alabama	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	127		145
Entered Employments	91		141	97 %
Terminations	0	0 %	0	0 %
Reductions	0	0 %	0	0 %
Average Wage	$6.50		$6.28
Retentions	72	100 %	111	71 %
Health Benefits	34	37 %	50	35 %

In Alabama, arriving refugees seldom go on assistance. Its entered employments thus produced no cash assistance terminations and no reductions.

Arizona	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	1,736		1,247
Entered Employments	1,530		917	74 %
Terminations	750	50 %	693	76 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $6.39 997 1,383	0 %   65 % 94 %	3 $6.84 808 838	1 %   80 % 93 %

In FY 2000 cash assistance termination and reduction rates are based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Arkansas	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	12			3
Entered Employments	12			3	100 %
Terminations	4	100 %		0	0 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $7.18 12	0 %   100 % 100 %		0 $8.25 3 3	0 %   100 % 100 %

In FY 2000 cash assistance terminations were based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Colorado	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	648		342
Entered Employments	400		167		49 %
Terminations	156	88 %	21		72 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	22 $7.60 402 328	15 %   93 % 89 %	8 $7.97 144 134		28 %   90 % 93 %

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	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	996		934
Entered Employments	658		622		67 %
Terminations	134	86 %	116		74 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	21 $7.69 345 302	14 %   58 % 52 %	14 $7.75 359 311		9 %   47 % 54 %

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	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	18		15
Entered Employments	16		10		67 %
Terminations	9	60 %	9		90 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	2 $8.57 14 14	13 %   93 % 93 %	1 $8.07 12 8		10 %   86 % 89 %

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

Dist. of Columbia	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	264		226
Entered Employments	183		170		75%
Terminations	167	41 %	157		92%
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	16 $8.07 121 124	9%   65% 74%	13 $8.20 111 125		8%   75% 80%

All full-time placements result in termination of benefits.

Florida	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	18,738		24,538
Entered Employments	7,526		10,511		43 %
Terminations	2,903	100%	3,782		99 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $5.74 6,219 2,213	0%   80% 31%	0 $6.43 7,588 3,457		0 %   66 % 35 %

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

Georgia	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	1,994		2,936
Entered Employments	1,356		2,055		70 %
Terminations	366	82 %	593		87 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $7.50 859 936	0 %   68 % 70 %	0 $7.70 1260 1342		0 %   75 % 65 %

In FY 2000 Georgia presented its data on terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Hawaii	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	72		80
Entered Employments	22		22		28 %
Terminations	7	32 %	6		27 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	4 $5.59 30 18	18 %   86 % 100 %	16 $6.03 17 11		73 %   85 % 100 %

Idaho	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	437		463
Entered Employments	258		322		70 %
Terminations	155	78 %	199		77 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $6.61 201 153	0 %   87 % 70 %	0 $6.80 266 226		0 %   84 % 81 %

Because benefit are very low; most full-time placements result in termination, rather than reduction, of benefits.

Illinois	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	5,859			4345
Entered Employments	3,654			2579	59 %
Terminations	866	53 %		631	44 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	676 $7.99 1,924 1,800	41 %   53 % 64 %		416 $8..35 1,753 1,498	29 %   68 % 70 %

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

Indiana	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	665		356
Entered Employments	317		339	95 %
Terminations	64	45 %	96	54 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $7.70 300 272	0 %   91 % 91 %	4 $7.60 284 323	2 %   98 % 100 %

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

Iowa	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	1,286		875
Entered Employments	754		862		99 %
Terminations	386	51 %	384		45 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	24 $7.57 603 473	3 %   80 % 72%	133 $8.05 596 620		15 %   66 % 90 %

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.

Kansas	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	432		303
Entered Employments	284		188		62 %
Terminations	75	71 %	24		28 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	19 $7.90 284 187	18 %   89 % 81 %	6 $8.21 173 136		7 %   81 % 85 %

Louisiana	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	368		232
Entered Employments	274		186		80 %
Terminations	63	23 %	37		58 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	28 $5.85 203 82	10 %   72 % 34 %	15 $6.03 143 67		23 %   72 % 39 %

Few reductions are reported because Louisiana pays cash assistance at a level where any income from employment makes the client wholly ineligible for cash assistance.

Maine	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	305		267
Entered Employments	237		212		79 %
Terminations	87	37 %	83		39 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	62 $7.21 196 93	26 %   83 % 53 %	40 $7.87 213 80		19 %   88 % 48 %

Many jobs are of a temporary and seasonal nature and therefore do not result in cash assistance terminations.

Maryland	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	589		519
Entered Employments	501		354		68 %
Terminations	149	78 %	111		48 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $7.44 437 373	0 %   76 % 86 %	0 $7.58 278 260		0 %   70 % 87 %

The cash assistance termination rate is based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance. The State’s cash assistance information system is not yet able to identify refugee reductions in cash assistance due to earnings.

Massachusetts	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	1,775		1,925
Entered Employments	1,083		1,153		60 %
Terminations	520	48 %	601		52 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	145 $8.75 776 741	13 %   72 % 87 %	261 $8.76 756 784		23 %   65 % 81%

Michigan	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	2,794		2,794
Entered Employments	1,828		1,801		64 %
Terminations	471	69 %	685		78 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	146 $7.44 1,265 1,445	21 %   76 % 88 %	179 $7.82 1,610 1471		20 %   75 % 92 %

Cash assistance termination and reduction rates are based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Minnesota	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	2,611		2,777
Entered Employments	1,423		1,461		53 %
Terminations	373	26 %	349		24 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	309 $8.07 1,088 1,073	22 %   78 % 91 %	292 $8.64 1,065 1,002		20 %   72 % 87 %

Mississippi	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	416		469
Entered Employments	278		315	67 %
Terminations	17	100 %	50	100 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $8.10 222 138	0 %   70 % 51 %	$8.00 282 154	0 %   70 % 49 %

In FY 2000 the cash assistance termination rate is based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Missouri	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	2,246		2,254
Entered Employments	1,413		1,304		58%
Terminations	458	96 %	202		60%
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	17 $7.14 857 1,136	4 %   78 % 83 %	125 $7.71 940 1,129		37%   72% 93%

Montana	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	292		245
Entered Employments	73		31		13 %
Terminations	33	51 %	5		16 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	22 $6.51 38 9	34 %   62 % 12 %	4 $6.80 26 3		13 %   93 % 12 %

Montana’s reductions and terminations are presented as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Nebraska	FY 1999		FY 2000
Caseload	190			339
Entered Employments	190			230	68 %
Terminations	117	95 %		90	88 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	6 $7.15 207 150	5 %   86 % 79 %		12 $8.25 204 118	5 %   83 % 86 %

Placement at entry-level wages results in termination of benefits due to Nebraska’s low benefit rate.

New Hampshire		FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	445			381
Entered Employments	334			323		85 %
Terminations	251		100 %	188		100 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $7.54 273 194		0 %   98 %  59 %	0 $8.10 340 264		0 %   76 % 82 %

No reductions in assistance due to earnings were recorded because the New Hampshire formula will terminate any full-time employee except in the case of very large families.

New Jersey	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	1,119		1,126
Entered Employments	626		747		66 %
Terminations	181	72 %	210		70 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	70 $7.55 480 307	28 %   80 % 58 %	75 $7.77 552 448		25 %   75 % 70 %

New Jersey’s reductions and terminations are presented as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

New Mexico	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	691		472
Entered Employments	480		194		41 %
Terminations	10	100 %	21		100 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	0 $5.83 442 336	0 %   49 % 70 %	0 $6.86 143 172		0 %   57 % 100 %

Most refugees never access cash assistance. Cash assistance termination rate is based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

New York	FY 1999			FY 2000
Caseload	6,372		6,247
Entered Employments	3,581		4,265		68 %
Terminations	2,218	62 %	1,301		61 %
Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits	740 $8.60 2,515 1,764	21 %   70 % 67 %	839 $8.44 1,884 1,726		39 %   71% 60%