Publications on Economic Well-Being

The increasing recognition of the importance of marriage for the social and economic well-being of children has led to demonstrations aimed at strengthening and stimulating healthy marriages. The next step is to ensure that factors closely linked with healthy marriages are addressed as well. This paper brings together research findings and policy ideas about the interactions between marriage, employment, and family functioning. It presents a framework and proposes several demonstrations aimed at improving employment and family outcomes for disadvantaged populations. The appendix reviews an extensive body of research on specific linkages between marriage, employment, and family functioning.

This study examines employment outcomes for youth who age out of foster care through their middle twenties in three states: California, Minnesota, and North Carolina. The study linked child welfare, Unemployment Insurance (UI), and public assistance administrative data to assess outcomes. Results suggest that youth who age out of foster care continue to experience poor employment outcomes at age 24 and generally follow one of four employment trajectories as they transition to adulthood.

The child tax credit (CTC) and the earned income tax credit (EITC) are designed to help working families with children. Yet these major initiatives leave out or provide limited assistance to some very low income families. Panelists discussed why tax programs for low-income families have expanded in recent years, while subsidy programs have remained relatively constant. They also analyzed problems that arise due to different treatment of families by CTC and EITC and the outlook and options for refining these programs that aim to support working families.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 includes incentives for states to increase the amount of child support that is "passed through" to families on welfare, rather than retained to offset welfare expenditures. Beginning October 1, 2008, the federal government will share in the costs of a $100 per month pass-through for families with one child and a $200 per month pass-through for families with two or more children. This brief discusses the potential benefits and costs to families, states, and the federal government if all states implemented a $100/$200 pass-through and disregard.

The National Economic Association is presenting the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award to Margaret Simms, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, on January 4, at the association's annual meeting in New Orleans. The award recognizes outstanding scholarly achievements of African-American economists in teaching, research, and public service.