This case statement describes the American Job Centers in Central Arkansas (called Arkansas Workforce Centers). Strategies to coordinate cash assistance and employment services for TANF recipients and job seekers include in-house referrals between TANF and WIOA, the development of a new integrated data system (ARWINS) to track participant outcomes, and information sharing among program staff. Through strong relationships with local workforce development boards and business partners, the Workforce Centers also offer work-based learning and subsidized employment opportunities to job seekers.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

This Brookings Institution report examines both unemployment and the underemployment rate and identifies racial disparities in the rates for both economic categorizations. The report also analyzes data trends that point to the different labor market outcomes by race and notes how unemployment rates have fallen since 2010 for all groups. Differences in underemployment exist between those who work part-time for economic reasons and those who would work full-time if they had available options.

This MDRC study examines the offerings of 39 adult basic skills programs and analyzes the need for these types of programs. The report identified 10 programs in high-need areas in California, where adult basic skills education is integrated with workforce and college preparation. There is also a set of findings on opportunities for expanded integrated adult basic skills programs in the state and the lessons that can be applied to other states across the country.

This Urban Institute report examines youth employment 2013 data in-depth (the most recent data available). There is a particular focus on disparities in employment outcomes by race and ethnicity, sex, and age, for youth ages 16-24. The report also analyzes the industry sectors where youth are employed and rates of disconnection between school and work that could explain declining youth labor force participation rates.

This Institute for Research on Poverty report presents findings of the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration Program (CSPED) implementation analysis. The report highlights promising agency-led approaches that emphasize delivery of services to noncustodial parents, compared to child services agencies that only emphasize enforcement of child support obligations. This new management orientation for child services agencies engages noncustodial parents and impacts parenting, case management, and employment, which helps facilitate reliable child support payments.

This Upjohn Institute policy brief analyzes the long-run outcomes of Earned Income Tax Credit and welfare time limits to increase employment and reduce public assistance; the brief also reviews the impact of anti-poverty programs on geographical locations where participants live. The research and analysis examine these anti-poverty programs and whether they have made a difference not only for individual households and participants, but also for disadvantaged neighborhoods.

This Urban Institute report highlights qualitative data to explain the reasons why low-wage workers apply for public assistance initially. The report is drawn from interviews with 40 individuals who recently separated from low-wage work and received or participated in Medicaid, SNAP, the Minnesota Family Investment Program, cash assistance, or unemployment insurance. The focus of the study is to understand why workers lose or leave low-wage work and how these workers get by on low and fluctuating income; these factors can determine worker outcomes for receiving assistance and improved outcomes for self-sufficiency.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report is an implementation and impact study of two job search assistance programs in Sacramento County, California: Standard Job Club and Fast Track Job Club. The report assessed whether there are differences in types of services that job seekers receive under either program, as well as the level and duration of assistance. The report also discusses if there are differences between participants in the two programs regarding employment, earnings, duration before employment, and need for public assistance.

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) will host a set of three professional development webinars, beginning on August 22, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. ET and continuing on September 26, 2019 and October 17, 2019. The first of these one-hour webinars will cover Career Assessment Principles and Practices, and successive webinars will highlight Career Planning: Individualizing the Process and Beat the Clock: Behavior Focused Time Management. Registration fees are required for all three webinars for both NAWDP members and non-members prior to attendance.