Introduction
Over the past several decades, evaluations have produced a great deal of research on programs designed to improve the employment outcomes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, beneficiaries of other public benefit programs, and other people with low incomes. But the sheer volume of research combined with the diversity of the findings can make it challenging to find applicable research, identify the most reliable and relevant studies, and use information from the studies to inform practical decision making.
To help decision makers use this research literature, the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, within the Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has established the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse. Pathways to Work seeks to be a comprehensive resource that a range of audiences, including state and local TANF administrators, can use to identify the services that will best help people with low incomes succeed in the labor market.
Pathways to Work has conducted a systematic review of research on programs designed to improve employment and training outcomes for individuals with low incomes. Through a comprehensive search strategy, the Pathways to Work team has examined over 8,000 manuscripts and identified research on 221 programs for review. This report summarizes the findings of Pathways to Work, and provides background information to help users of the website understand how Pathways to Work obtained those findings.
Research Questions
- How did Pathways to Work identify, review, and evaluate research on programs to improve employment and earnings outcomes for people with low incomes?
- What did we learn about the programs evaluated in the studies reviewed by Pathways to Work?
- What populations did those programs serve?
Purpose
Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can use this report to learn more about the programs and services examined by Pathways to Work. This report summarizes the findings of Pathways to Work, and provides background information to help users of the website understand how Pathways to Work obtained those findings.
Key Findings and Highlights
- The evidence suggests that 38 percent of the examined programs improved outcomes in at least one of the four key domains of interest to Pathways to Work. Twenty-seven percent of the examined programs improved employment, 24 percent increased earnings, 14 percent reduced public benefit receipt, and 8 percent increased education and training.
- Most programs contained a mix of services aimed at increasing participants’ skills, helping them find or keep jobs, and helping them overcome or manage barriers to employment.
- Interventions most often served people who identified as women, identified as racial or ethnic minorities, and were living in urban areas.
Methods
The Pathways to Work team systematically identified, categorized, and assessed studies of programs designed to improve the labor market outcomes of individuals with low incomes. The team recorded information about the study methods, the characteristics and impacts of the programs they examined, and the populations served. This report reviews and summarizes the information collected.
Citation
Rotz, Dana, and Andrew Langan (2022). Synthesis report: Pathways to Work: Overview of the Research. OPRE Report # 2022-50, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
