| Many states began to reduce welfare caseloads after the enactment of current welfare-to-work programs based on the new policy, Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) which emphasized quick job entries, penalties for non-compliance with work mandates and time limits on benefits. But the reduction of welfare caseloads is not always related to the improvement of family well-being. Namely, the most important determinant for the reduction of welfare recidivism is not just getting a job, but rather maintaining their jobs which increase their job quality (specifically working hours, wages and fringe benefits), ultimately resulting in a more steady employment. Thus, exploring the impact of job quality on welfare exits and recidivism contribute to a better understanding of the underlying premise of current welfare reform, which assumes that getting a job will eventually move a person to a higher paying job and a permanent welfare exit.;Under the current welfare policy, this study suggests welfare exits and recidivism for two consecutive spells based on National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) 1979--2000 data and Multivariate Failure Time Models (MFTM) as an extended survival analysis in order to evaluate the true successfulness of current welfare policy.;Based on the results, welfare reform showed a positive impact on getting a full time job and paying over ;Also, current welfare reform still reduced welfare recidivism even under higher unemployment rates, specifically for welfare recipients who had multiple spells. This feature contrasts with the result of the impact of welfare reform on welfare exits in the second spell depending on economic conditions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
