All Featured Highlights
- Mar 19, 2013 | Chris Warland and Melissa Young, National Transitional Jobs Network and Elizabeth Lower-Basch, CLASP Innovative City and State Funding Approaches to Supporting Subsidized Employment and Transitional Jobs A new paper from the National Transitional Jobs Network and CLASP provides strategies and makes recommendations on leveraging and blending multiple sources of funding to support subsidized employment programs. In addition to highlighting the opportunities to use block grant funding, from both TANF and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), the paper identifies efforts to fund these jobs by averting future expenses associated with prisons and other corrections measures and by leveraging public contracting and bidding opportunities. The webinar is also available. Download PDF
- Apr 12, 2013 | Neil Ridley President’s Budget Calls for Pathways Back to Work Fund The President’s budget blueprint released on Wednesday calls for Congress to support employment and job training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and low-income adults and youth through the Pathways Back to Work Fund. Even as the economy recovers, too many unemployed workers and individuals with low education and skill levels face a difficult job market. This legislative proposal, which was introduced as part of the American Jobs Act, builds on the successful, two-year program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that provided jobs for about 260,000 people in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Read Online
- Nov 20, 2012 | Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Neil Ridley, and Kisha Bird When it Comes to Job Creation, “Do No Harm” Isn’t Enough The economy in general, and job creation in particular, was the top priority for voters in this month’s general election. But Congress could put the country back into recession if it fails to act during the post-election session to avoid sequestration (automatic, across-the-board, spending cuts), allows federal extended unemployment insurance benefits to run out, and fails to extend middle-class tax cuts. Read Online
- Sep 20, 2011 American Jobs Act: New Work and Learning Opportunities for Low-Income, Unemployed Adults and Youth This CLASP analysis of the American Jobs Act examines provisions specifically aimed at those workers most affected by the recession as well as those struggling even before the economy turned sour. In particular, it looks at the $5 billion Pathways Back to Work Fund, which includes three elements that would create work and learning opportunities for thousands of disadvantaged individuals across the country. Read Online
- Nov 09, 2011 | Elizabeth Lower-Basch Big Ideas for Job Creation: Rethinking Work Opportunity - From Tax Credits to Subsidized Job Placements This paper is part of the Big Ideas for Job Creation in a Jobless Recovery project, which includes proposals from more than a dozen leading experts on practical, scalable proposals to create more jobs for the U.S. economy. CLASP Senior Policy Analyst Elizabeth Lower-Basch recommends that deeper, more targeted subsidies administered at the state level are an effective way to encourage employers to hire disadvantaged workers and create jobs. There are federal subsidies such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) currently in place to encourage hiring of disadvantaged workers, but in contrast, they often provide large windfalls to employers in low-wage, high-turnover industries without creating any net new jobs or changing who they hire. Download PDF
- Feb 16, 2011 | LaDonna Pavetti (CBPP), Liz Schott (CBPP), and Elizabeth Lower-Basch (CLASP) Creating Subsidized Employment Opportunities for Low-Income Parents: The Legacy of the TANF Emergency Fund During 2009 and 2010, 39 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and eight Tribal TANF programs received approval to use $1.3 billion from the TANF Emergency Fund to create new subsidized employment programs or expand existing ones. This paper examines how states used the flexibility they were given to design and implement subsidized employment programs and what challenges they faced in getting them up and running, and draws lessons for future such programs. Download PDF
- Mar 07, 2013 | Elizabeth Lower-Basch In Face of Budget Constraints, State and Local Governments Find Creative Ways to Fund Subsidized and Transitional Jobs Programs Subsidized and transitional jobs are a proven way to give unemployed workers the opportunity to earn wages, build skills, and connect to the labor market, while also giving businesses an incentive to hire new employees when they might not have been able to do so otherwise. A variety of non-profit, social enterprise, and city and state public entities have operated transitional jobs and subsidized employment programs for almost 30 years. Funding from the TANF Emergency Fund in 2009-2010, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), enabled the operation of such programs at a larger scale, and in more places, than had previously occurred. More than 260,000 individuals were placed in subsidized positions in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Read Online
- Jan 19, 2012 | Neil Ridley and David Balducchi Work Sharing: An Alternative to Layoffs - Frequently Asked Questions Economic hard times and continuing high unemployment have spurred interest in a provision in federal unemployment insurance (UI) law that allows states to enact work sharing programs. As the nation's economic recovery remains weak, a growing number of businesses are searching for ways to weather the economic downturn and retain their workforce. Work sharing has become a viable alternative to layoffs in states that have these programs in place. This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions about state work sharing programs. Read Online
- Mar 26, 2009 | Neil Ridley Work Sharing--an Alternative to Layoffs for Tough Times At a time of rising unemployment, work sharing programs provide an alternative to layoffs and have benefits for workers, employers and the government. These programs should be expanded and more states should adopt them. This paper describes work sharing and the opportunity for federal action to expand its use. Download PDF
- Jan 28, 2010 | Elizabeth Lower-Basch Extending the TANF Emergency Fund Creates Jobs Now Congress should extend the TANF Emergency Fund as soon as possible so that states can continue to start and expand subsidized jobs programs. Download PDF
- Nov 18, 2009 | Evelyn Ganzglass Job Creation: Creating Work and Learning Opportunities for Low-Income Populations Six federal policy recommendations for how the public Workforce Investment and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families systems could be mobilized to create new work opportunities for low-income, unemployed workers. Read Online
- Mar 03, 2010 Sample Documents for TANF Emergency Fund Subsidized Jobs Programs Documents that various states have used for their successful TANF Emergency Fund subsidized jobs programs. Read Online
- Jun 01, 2010 | Neil Ridley Work Sharing During the Recession Download PDF
- Apr 03, 2009 | Allegra Baider and Elizabeth Lower-Basch Making the Employment Connection: New Opportunities to Support Transitional Jobs Programs Using the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund This paper highlights new opportunities to develop or expand Transitional Jobs programs using funding from the new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund, which was authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Download PDF
- Apr 20, 2009 | David Fischer and Jeremy Reiss From Stimulus to System: Using the ARRA to Serve Disadvantaged Jobseekers This paper explores models and mechanisms for connecting low-skilled jobseekers to ARRA-related job opportunities--including community-benefit agreements, job linkage/first source hiring, and goals and standards for job creation and job quality--and for subsequently engaging jobseekers in further skill-building and educational programs. Download PDF
- Oct 08, 2009 | CLASP The Safety Net's Response to the Recession Download PDF