To help the Congress as it considers welfare reform, the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Finance requested us to provide information on (1) examples of county or local programs that stressed job placement, subsidized employment, or work-experience positions for welfare recipients; (2) the extent to which county JOBS programs nationwide emphasized these employment-focused activities; and (3) factors that hinder program administrators’ efforts to move welfare recipients into jobs. This prospect poses a formidable challenge for many AFDC recipients who have limited education, job skills, and work experience. Examples of Employment-Focused Programs

Some local welfare-to-work programs are well-focused on employment, working closely with employers to help participants find jobs or using subsidized employment or work experience to promote work for welfare recipients. The programs in these places vary in their costs per participant and other features. Researchers who have studied the CET program believe that its strong focus on employment and integrated training design are important features. A majority of county JOBS programs do not work closely with employers to help their participants find work. Lack of Jobs That Support Families

While the lack of jobs is a problem in many areas, the low-wage work that is available to many AFDC recipients discourages their movement off AFDC. Most programs appear to emphasize preparing participants for employment without also making strong efforts to help place their participants in jobs. IV), HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) disagreed with our conclusion that JOBS programs do not have a strong employment focus.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on employment-focused welfare-to-work programs, focusing on: (1) the extent to which county and local Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs focus on employment; and (2) factors that hinder administrators' efforts to move Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients into jobs.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) some welfare-to-work programs stress employment and work closely with employers in promoting work among welfare recipients; (2) although the programs reviewed keep participants focused on the importance of work and help program participants find jobs or work-experience positions, they vary in their approach; (3) many county JOBS programs do not have a strong employment focus and many county administrators do not work with employers to find jobs for participants or use work-experience programs; (4) many local program administrators believe that insufficient staffing and resources hinder their work with employers and more flexibility in federal rules governing work-experience programs would facilitate their use; (5) the low-wage work available to many AFDC recipients discourages their movement into the work force; and (6) AFDC programs may emphasize preparing participants for employment without also making strong efforts to help them get jobs, since states are not required to track the number of AFDC recipients who get jobs or earn their way off AFDC.