Alternative Employment Strategies for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients: Final Results from a Test of Transitional Jobs and Preemployment Services in Philadelphia

Abstract

This report presents final, four-year results from a rigorous evaluation of two different employment strategies for hard-to-employ public assistance recipients in Philadelphia. An earlier report discussed findings after one and a half years of follow-up. The study is part of the Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Demonstration and Evaluation Project, which is testing innovative employment strategies for various groups facing serious obstacles to steady work. The Hard-to-Employ project is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. It is being conducted under contract to HHS by MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, along with the Urban Institute and other partners.