BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT: FINDINGS FROM THE MILWAUKEE TANF APPLICANT STUDY

The dramatic reduction in state cash assistance caseloads that has occurred since the enactment of federal welfare reform in 1996 can be attributed not only to the fact that families are receiving cash assistance for shorter periods of time, but also to the fact that the number of applicants has declined. Once welfare recipients were required to work and receipt of cash assistance was limited to no more than 60 months, only parents who could not function in the labor market were likely to apply. This development had a significant effect on the composition of the TANF applicant pool. Specifically, it meant that a growing share of the applicants who sought assistance from state TANF agencies faced substantial and sometimes multiple barriers to employment. Among the most common are educational deficits, limited work experience, physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, mental health problems, alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, domestic violence, and caring for a child with special needs. These personal characteristics and family situations can make it difficult to either find or keep a job, especially when they are combined with the demands of parenting. This report examines the prevalence of these barriers to employment among a sample of 1999 Milwaukee County TANF applicants. (See box for a description of the Milwaukee TANF Applicant Study). It is particularly timely given that recent federal legislation has increased the percentage of each state’s TANF caseload that must to be engaged in work activities in order for states to receive all of their TANF block grant funds