Employment Assistance Program Research Articles

Why does Marriage Improve the Well-Being of Some and Diminish that of others? A Gender Analysis in Togo

Marriage is considered in the literature as a means of pooling risks and improving the well-being of couples. Thus, this article aims to analyze the relationship between marriage and the well-being of couples in Togo. To do so, we apply the ordinary least squares (OLS) method. Using data from the Enquête Harmonisée sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages (EHCVM) Togo 2018. We arrive at the results that, marriage positively affects the well-being of married women under monogamy and polygamy, but the well-being of women in common-law unions decreases. However, our results show that marriage negatively affects the well-being of married men in Togo, regardless of their marital status. Furthermore, we find that marriage is a decreasing function of education level in Togo, but that marriage contributes to improved household well-being in the Togolese context. Our results suggest that the provision of social assistance, such as affordable healthcare or employment assistance programs, could help improve the well-being of married men. Further policy implications are proposed in the light of our results

Does employment assistance promote employment of the impoverished in China? Evidence from a mixed methods approach

AbstractThe issue of employment is extremely significant, and employment assistance programs work for special social assistance and employment support for the impoverished in China. Are employment assistance programs, particularly those providing job recommendations and free vocational training, effective in promoting employment in China? This study answers this question using a mixed methods approach. Logistic regressions and propensity score matching–difference in differences models using unique data from the “Construction of Social Policy Support System for Urban and Rural Impoverished Families in China” project demonstrates that providing either job recommendations or free vocational training does not significantly promote employment. Qualitative analyses of in‐depth interviews show that the ineffectiveness of providing job recommendations and vocational training programs can be attributed to three reasons: (1) lack of coordination among employment assistance providers, (2) mismatch between employment assistance provision and recipients' needs, and (3) employment assistance as subordinates to Dibao and labor market policy. This study has important theoretical and practical implications for research on and improvement of employment assistance.

Arkansas Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) Program: Barriers to Aid for Low-Income Families

Literature reviews and secondary data analysis of the Arkansas Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) program show systemic issues in its mission to serve low-income families. This review analyzes the program’s design, processes, and long-term trends which may contribute to barriers in accessibility and enrollment. Recommendations for improving program participation rates include increasing income eligibility standards, adopting nudge techniques, and simplifying the enrollment and benefits issuance process to overcome its structural barriers.

Administrative responsibility for violations of legislation in the field of employment of the population

To date, the level of unemployment, which is associated with the termination or limited format of work of enterprises, institutions and organizations, is significant. This indicates the need for the formation of an effective state policy in the field of employment, an effective model of combating unemployment and the expansion of employment assistance programs. The issue of administrative responsibility in the field of public employment deserves special attention. According to the Law of Ukraine "On Employment of the Population", employment is the activity of individuals not prohibited by law, related to the satisfaction of their personal and social needs with the aim of receiving income (wages) in monetary or other form, as well as the activities of members of one family, who carry out economic activities or work for business entities based on their property, including free of charge. Everyone has the right to a freely chosen employment. Forced labor in any form is prohibited. Voluntary unemployment of a person cannot be the basis for bringing him to responsibility. Employment of the population is ensured by establishing relations regulated by labor agreements (contracts), conducting business and other types of activities not prohibited by law.

"It Comes in Steps and Stages": Experiences of People Living with HIV in Achieving Employment.

People living with HIV who are seeking jobs experience unique barriers to obtaining employment at the individual, group, and community levels. Traditional employment assistance programs can provide support but may not be tailored to some people living with HIV who often experience barriers to work related to their social needs (such as housing instability) or their lack of consistent engagement in the workforce. To understand how people living with HIV return to work, in-depth interviews were conducted with 43 participants enrolled in interventions coordinating HIV care with housing and employment services at eight sites across the US. Four themes emerged on strategies to increase employment: (1) assessing and responding to employment needs that align with their socio-economic environment; (2) using social networks among family and friends for referrals and support; (3) engaging with navigators who are able to connect clients to skills building opportunities and job resources; and (4) addressing the system barriers such as helping with unmet basic needs (e.g. transportation), finding employers who can accommodate workers with income limits associated with public benefits, and helping immigrants, transgender individuals, and people experiencing homelessness secure legal documentsthat facilitate entry into employment by reducing stigmatized identities.

An evaluation of an employment assistance program focused on people living with HIV in Toronto, Canada

ABSTRACT Unemployment is more common among people living with HIV (PLWH) compared to the general population. PLWH who are employed have better physical and mental health outcomes compared to unemployed PLWH. The main objective of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a program evaluation of Employment Action (EACT), a community-based program that assists PLWH in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to maintain meaningful employment. We extracted quantitative data from two HIV services databases used by EACT, and collected qualitative data from 12 individuals who had been placed into paid employment through EACT. From 131 clients included in the analysis, 38.1% (n = 50) maintained their job for at least 6 weeks within the first year of enrollment in the EACT program. Gender, ethnicity, age, and first language did not predict employment maintenance. Our interviews highlighted the barriers and facilitators to effective service delivery. Key recommendations include implementing skills training, embedding PLWH as EACT staff, and following up with clients once they gain employment. Investment in social programs such as EACT are essential for strengthening their data collection capacity, active outreach to service users, and sufficient planning for the evaluation phase prior to program implementation.

Trans liberation under neoliberal governmentality: An argument against rights-based activism

During the 1980s, the increasing institutionalization of the North American gay and lesbian rights movement drastically shifted the goals and methods of 2SLGBTQIA+ activism. Organizations began to focus on achieving access and equality through dominant institutions (such as military service and hate crime legislation) with the goal of achieving “equal citizenship,” rather than challenging the foundational inequalities embedded in such institutions. Despite the issues with this kind of approach, contemporary trans resistance is often expected to replicate this framework and make similar demands for trans-specific human rights and legal protections. This article argues that a rights-based approach to trans liberation cannot succeed under the current iteration of biopolitical governance in the United States. Inspired by Henry Giroux’s concept of the biopolitics of disposability, the author suggests that contemporary neoliberalism devalues trans lives (especially the lives of racialized trans women and femmes) to such an extent that they are viewed as expendable. Therefore, 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy that seeks to gain further transgender rights and legal protections from a state that views trans lives as expendable should be abandoned in favour of activist projects that address the most urgent issues facing the most vulnerable trans people, such as employment assistance programs, access to inclusive healthcare, decarceration, and prison abolition projects.

Alcohol Use Disorder Among Textile Workers: Evidence from Ethiopia

Little is known about its prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and its work-based etiology among employed adults in developing countries. To address this knowledge gap, we surveyed a total of 423 Ethiopian textile workers (of whom 313 were non-abstaining) assessing AUD. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or “AUDIT” and categorizing an AUD as any AUDIT score of 16 or greater, the prevalence of AUD was estimated at 4.3% among overall participants and 5.8% among non-abstainers. Logistic regression analysis identified younger age, work-related disability, and stress as significantly associated with AUD. Given the link between these potential work-related risk factors and AUD, the findings suggest that alcohol use prevention programs such as peer-led counseling and/or Employment Assistance Programs, along with brief interventions, may be useful in addressing potential AUD risk factors, reducing AUD prevalence and associated sequaelae, and treating workers with AUD in developing countries.

State policy in the sphere of employment of the population under the conditions of military intervention

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine caused a massive displacement of the working population, which is certainly a destructive factor for the economy of Ukraine in general and its individual sectors. To date, the level of unemployment, which is associated with the termination or limited format of work of enterprises, institutions and organizations, is significant. This indicates the need for the formation of an effective state policy in the field of employment, an effective model of combating unemployment and the expansion of employment assistance programs. Therefore, issues of state policy in the field of employment are becoming increasingly relevant.
 The purpose of the article is to research state policy in the sphere of population employment during the period of declared martial law in Ukraine. The nature of the right to employment, implementation of the right to employment, state policy in the field of population employment have been considered by many scientists in their writings, however, modern conditions and challenges of today require new scientific research in this area.
 It is noted that due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, almost all the most important social indicators of the world's civilizational development Ukraine have come very close to the dangerous limit. One of the challenges of the war was the increase in the level of unemployment in Ukraine, which naturally slows down the development of the economy of Ukraine and the improvement of the welfare of the population. The war led to internal and external displacement of the working population, a decrease in the level of innovation, a decrease in purchasing power, as well as other negative consequences. It was concluded that increasing the employment level of the population and improving its qualitative characteristics are an important prerequisite for the economic development of the country and its further reconstruction. In addition, the issue of improving the state policy in the field of employment, activation and acceleration of the processes of European integration are significantly actualized.

АНАЛИЗ РЫНКА ТРУДА И ПРОБЛЕМЫ СОДЕЙСТВИЮ ЗАНЯТОСТИ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ В ОРЛОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

The purpose of the article is to present the results of operational analysis in the field of assessing the state of labor resources and the labor market of Orel region, employment promotion based on retraining and advanced training. On their basis, it is planned to systematically monitor the situation on the labor market, employment, production development and the implementation of the import substitution policy. Possession of operational information of the analysis will allow you to quickly and objectively make the necessary management decisions. The research methodology is based on an analysis of the current state of the regional labor market in comparison with data for Russia, justification for the need to take measures to retrain the most sought-after specialists. As a result, the importance of developing full-time distance learning programs based on the demand for these programs from needy citizens who are unemployed or who want to get a new profession is substantiated. The results of the study made it possible to substantiate and develop a number of provisions to simplify the procedure for the formation of educational programs for additional professional education, which are implemented within the framework of the Employment Assistance program of the Demography national project. Analysis approaches can be used in monitoring employment in the labor market of any region of the country, which is of practical importance for the public administration system and making informed decisions in the field of social and labor relations.

Aspects of the quality of life of military pensioners, defining their resocialization

The article examines the main indicators of the quality of life of military pensioners and their relationship with re-socialization after retirement. The results of a medico-sociological study, using the questionnaire method (n=413), using the standard SF-36 questionnaire who were dismissed from military service no more than five years ago. Military retirees with high rates of the physical component (according to the SF-36 scales) receive less information from doctors about vaccinations and other preventive measures, so it is necessary to optimize this work with them. The size of the scale of vital activity was significantly influenced by the fact of employment, living conditions, and financial satisfaction.
 In this regard, it is advisable to develop medical and social programs in three main areas: optimization of treatment and prophylactic measures (talks about the need to quit smoking, timely vaccination, the presence of moderate regular physical activity, improvement of medical care); development of employment assistance programs (expansion of the list of retraining courses in specialties in demand in the region, presentation in the media of the image of a military pensioner as a promising employee); functioning of psychological support rooms for those dismissed from military service.

A Long-Term Follow-Up Evaluation of an Employment Assistance Reentry Program

This study uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of an employment assistance program implemented in Minnesota prisons by examining recidivism and post-release employment outcomes of 2,814 individuals released between 2009 and 2018. Observable selection bias was reduced by using propensity score matching to create similar treatment and comparison groups. Results of Cox regression analyses showed that completing EMPLOY reduced the hazard ratio for recidivism by 27–66%. The findings further showed that those who completed EMPLOY were more likely to gain post-release employment within two years after release from prison and worked more hours, had higher hourly wages, and earned more total wages during the two-year follow-up period.

Food Insecurity Is Prevalent in Iowa’s Medicaid Expansion Population

BackgroundFood insecurity has been identified as an important social determinant of health and is associated with many health issues prevalent in Medicaid members. Despite this, little research has been done around food insecurity within Medicaid populations. ObjectiveOur objective was to estimate the prevalence of household food insecurity and identify factors associated with experiencing food insecurity in Iowa’s Medicaid expansion population. DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey between March and May of 2019. ParticipantsOur sample was drawn from Medicaid members enrolled in Iowa’s expansion program at least 14 months, stratified by Federal Poverty Level (FPL) category. Members who did not have valid contact information were excluded. We selected one individual per household to reduce the interrelatedness of responses. We sampled 6,000 individuals and had 1,349 respondents in the analytic sample. Main outcome measureOur main outcome was whether a respondent’s household experienced food insecurity in the previous year, using the Hunger Vital Sign screening tool. Statistical analyses performedWe weighted responses to account for the sampling design and differential nonresponse between strata. We estimated the prevalence of food insecurity and used logistic regression to model food insecurity as a function of demographic (age, FPL category, gender, employment, education, race, rurality, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] participation) and health-related (self-rated health, self-rated oral health, health literacy) factors. ResultsThe estimated prevalence of experiencing food insecurity was 51.3%. Race, gender, education, employment, health literacy, and self-rated health were all significantly associated with food insecurity. ConclusionsOur findings show that food insecurity is prevalent in Iowa’s Medicaid expansion population. Food insecurity should be more widely measured as a critical social determinant of health in Medicaid populations. Policymakers and clinicians should consider interventions that connect households experiencing food insecurity to food resources (eg, produce prescriptions and food pantry referrals) and policies that increase food access. AbbreviationsIowa Wellness Plan (IWP); Federal Poverty Level (FPL); Healthy Behavior Program (HBP); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Agricultural productivity and deforestation: Evidence from input subsidies and ethnic favoritism in Malawi

This paper studies the underlying relationship between agricultural productivity and deforestation by analyzing the impacts of a large fertilizer and seed subsidy program in Malawi. In the absence of well-defined subsidy eligibility criteria, we demonstrate that areas with a high proportion of individuals of the same ethnicity as the president received more subsidized fertilizer and deforested less compared to areas with other predominant ethnicities. We provide evidence that subsidized fertilizer increased yields and reduced pressure to expand agriculture and that the findings are not confounded by increases in public sector employment or other public assistance programs. The results suggest that policies aimed at increasing small-scale agricultural productivity may have positive environmental spillovers.

대학취업지원프로그램의 만족도 분석 연구

대학취업지원프로그램의 만족도 분석 연구

Understanding the risk and protective factors among children of mothers engaged in street-level prostitution

In recent years, street-level prostitution (SLP) and the multitude of risks and adverse outcomes associated with the labor of SLP have received increased attention. However, the risk factors and treatment needs among the children of women engaged in SLP remain relatively unknown. To address this gap, the current study conducted fifteen semi-structured, qualitative interviews with women engaged in SLP to explore their perceptions of their children’s presenting concerns, experiences, and environments to gain insights toward their potential treatment needs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and double-coded using an inductive content analysis approach. Respondents were recruited from local substance use treatment facilities, an employment assistance program and through snowball sampling. Respondents reported on common desires for their children to receive intervention in areas of concern such as mental health, behavioral issues, substance use, trauma, and school behaviors. Participating mothers also represented a key source of support and strength to their children. Findings provide valuable insights, discussion areas, and implications for the development of future prevention, intervention, and treatment targets for an understudied population of children, but those increasingly vulnerable for poor outcomes.

The Limits of the Chinese Welfare State: Evidence from the Dibao Program in Chengdu

ABSTRACTThe Minimum Living Standard Guarantee Scheme (Dibao) is the most important social assistance program in China. It provides means-tested cash transfers for the poor and serves as a safety net in the Chinese welfare state. Like minimum-income schemes in Western societies, however, it is also a deterrent to efforts by welfare recipients to find work. In order to solve this issue, China officially established an employment assistance program in 2014, aimed at “activating” welfare recipients. Evaluative evidence on the effectiveness of employment-assistance programs, however, remains scarce. This article uses in-depth interviews to analyse the activation paradigm and evaluate the effectiveness of employment assistance in China. The results indicate that employment assistance is of limited importance in helping recipients move off welfare and become self-sufficient. To promote welfare-to-work transitions, the article argues, positive and negative measures of employment assistance should be emphasised and improved, and it is necessary to understand the unique employment barriers faced by many welfare recipients and provide individually tailored services.

Agricultural Productivity and Deforestation: Evidence from Input Subsidies and Ethnic Favoritism in Malawi

This paper studies the underlying relationship between agricultural productivity and deforestation by analyzing the impacts of a large fertilizer and seed subsidy program in Malawi. In the absence of well-defined subsidy eligibility criteria, we demonstrate that areas with a high proportion of individuals of the same ethnicity as the president received more subsidized fertilizer and deforested less compared to areas with other predominant ethnicities. We provide evidence that subsidized fertilizer increased yields and reduced pressure to expand agriculture and that the findings are not confounded by increases in public sector employment or other public assistance programs. The results suggest that policies aimed at increasing small-scale agricultural productivity may have positive environmental spillovers.

Efficacy and Impact of Key Performance Indicators as Perceived by Key Informants in Ontario Universities

The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training’s Task Force on University Accountability first proposed key performance indicators (KPIs) for colleges and universities in Ontario in the early 1990s. The three main KPIs for Ontario universities are the rates of (1) graduation, (2) employment, and (3) Ontario Student Assistance Program loan default. This exploratory and descriptive study examined the perceptions of 12 key informants from 11 participating universities about the efficacy and effectiveness of these KPIs. The results of this study demonstrate that a clear majority of participants believe these KPIs are not having the intended impact. This paper analyzes the evidence and makes recommendations designed to foster efficient collaboration between stakeholders; it also asks all parties to clarify their goals, agreed expectations, and requirements, in order to develop effective measures of institutional performance and accountability and address the political needs of the government, the universities, and the public.

The effect of continuing education participation on outcomes of male and female agricultural workers in the USA

Job training and employment assistance programs aim to assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents locate steady employment and develop job skills. This study investigates effects of educational programs on wages, annual time allocations, and poverty of male and female farmworkers and their families using regression analysis in comparison to propensity score matching. Continuing education participation is found to be associated with higher wages, though variation across program types is large and magnitudes across genders matter. Program participation is positively related to work weeks, and negatively related to weeks abroad and to poverty incidence.