Introduction
Over the past several decades, evaluations have produced a great deal of research on interventions designed to improve the employment outcomes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, beneficiaries of other public benefit programs, and other people with low incomes. But the sheer volume of research combined with the diversity of the findings can make it challenging to find applicable research, identify the most reliable and relevant studies, and use information from the studies to inform practical decision making.
To help decision makers use this research literature, the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, within the Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has established the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse. The Pathways Clearinghouse seeks to be a comprehensive resource that a range of audiences, including state and local TANF administrators, can use to identify the services that will best help people with low incomes succeed in the labor market.
The Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse has conducted a systematic review of research on interventions designed to improve employment and training outcomes for individuals with low incomes. Through a comprehensive search strategy, the Pathways Clearinghouse team has examined over 8,000 manuscripts and identified research on 221 interventions for review. This report summarizes the findings of the Pathways Clearinghouse, and provides background information to help users of the website understand how the Pathways Clearinghouse obtained those findings.
Research Questions
- How did the Pathways Clearinghouse identify, review, and evaluate research on interventions to improve employment and earnings outcomes for people with low incomes?
- What did we learn about the interventions evaluated in the studies reviewed by the Pathways Clearinghouse?
- What populations did those interventions serve?
Purpose
Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can use this report to learn more about the interventions and services examined by the Pathways Clearinghouse. This report summarizes the findings of the Pathways Clearinghouse, and provides background information to help users of the website understand how the Pathways Clearinghouse obtained those findings.
Key Findings and Highlights
- The evidence suggests that 38 percent of the examined interventions improved outcomes in at least one of the four key domains of interest to the Pathways Clearinghouse. Twenty-seven percent of the examined interventions improved employment, 24 percent increased earnings, 14 percent reduced public benefit receipt, and 8 percent increased education and training.
- Most interventions contained a mix of services aimed at increasing participants’ skills, helping them find or keep jobs, and helping them overcome or manage barriers to employment.
- Interventions most often served people who identified as women, identified as racial or ethnic minorities, and were living in urban areas.
Methods
The Pathways Clearinghouse team systematically identified, categorized, and assessed studies of interventions designed to improve the labor market outcomes of individuals with low incomes. The team recorded information about the study methods, the characteristics and impacts of the interventions they examined, and the populations served. This report reviews and summarizes the information collected.
Citation
Rotz, Dana, and Andrew Langan (2022). Synthesis report: Pathways Clearinghouse: Overview of the Research. OPRE Report # 2022-50, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
