The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 introduces changes that require states to report employment and education outcomes in their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. Attention to outcomes is a welcome change for many TANF administrators, but caution should be taken when comparing the required outcomes across states because they may lead to misleading results or unintended consequences.

This fact sheet is a resource for states, federal staff, and agency leaders implementing the new law. Drawing insights from a 2018 report called Measuring Employment Outcomes in TANF, this fact sheet helps explain the challenges and opportunities of measuring and interpreting employment outcomes.