This study examines how child support arrears affect fathers’ labor force participation. It relies on longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. Findings from analyses of these data suggest that child support arrears result in declines in average weeks worked in the formal labor market in subsequent time periods. These findings are driven by the behaviors of fathers who had relatively high amounts of arrears and no income in the previous year and are mostly robust to tests for selection into no work or low levels of work by fathers. Findings also suggest that arrears obligations that are low relative to income result in increases in the probability that fathers engage in any formal work. Arrears are not statistically significantly related to informal labor force participation. This study highlights both intended and unintended consequences of the growth in arrears under current child support enforcement policies. (author abstract).

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness released this public document announcing their commitment to end family homelessness by 2020. The document outlines the key areas of action to achieve this goal, including collaborating with federal partners to develop a centralized entry system with the capacity to assess needs, ensure interventions and assistance are tailored to the needs of families, help families connect to the mainstream resources, and develop and build upon practices for serving families experiencing and at-risk of experiencing homelessness.

The National Poverty Center released a working paper bibliography that summarizes research on the structure and effectiveness of workforce development programs. The paper covers evidence on the overall effectiveness of job training and other active labor market programs, several proposals to improve them, and the impact of the Great Recession on workforce development in the U.S. It also discusses the growing skills and earnings gaps between rich and poor Americans, and provides evidence on training and advancement programs.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released an article suggesting that EITC's benefits extend well beyond the limited time during which a family typically claims the credit. The article indicates that children of EITC recipients do better in school, are more likely to attend college, and earn more as adults. The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is discussed, which is a related credit that is designed to help offset the cost of child-rearing, and also plays a major role in helping low-income working families.

Project SEARCH, run by Cincinnati Children's Hospital, provides employability skills training and workplace internships for individuals with significant disabilities, particularly youth transitions from high school to adult life. Project SEARCH now has program sites throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, and works with youth with chronic illnesses, traumatic injuries, rehabilitation issues, and other disabilities, and generates a plan that addresses their vocational, educational, training, and employment goals.

The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics released a report examining the basic skills of American adults by demographic and other socioeconomic factors including race, educational attainment, foreign status, and age. This critical information will allow for the design of smarter, more effective policy solutions that improve the skills of American adults and youth.

The Connecticut Employment & Training Commission released a report describing the most prominent State strategies for building and promoting career pathways. These strategies were pulled from a review of literature on career advancement strategies for low-skilled workers over the last decade.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report on low-income and economically vulnerable populations. Low-income and economically vulnerable populations include as many as 100 million people. These consumers are diverse in culture, geography, stage of life, and financial status. Last year, the Office of Financial Empowerment hosted a forum to examine the unique consumer financial product and service needs of low-income and economically vulnerable consumers. This report captures the reflections and insights of attendees and describes some of the strategies being pursued to address the issues identified.

A study by Brookings researchers examined the prospects for ending extreme poverty by 2030 and the factors that will determine progress toward this goal. They released an interactive tool that allows users to explore the study's key finding, including: poverty scenarios to 2013; the view from the poverty line; the need for equitable growth; China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa; and weak prospects for fragile States.

Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago hosted a webinar on January 16, 2014 that discussed the nature of self-sufficiency and the ways different systems view economic instability. Speakers also discussed the present challenges and opportunities for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who work to understand the ways that Federal policies can affect income instability, and the relationships between employment supports and poverty.