Welfare Reform and Beyond: Making Work Work

The signing of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996 fundamentally changed the welfare system in America. The emphasis shifted from supporting low-income people who do not work to helping low-income people work to support themselves. This report examines the record of welfare reform in the wider context of the low-skill labor market. It asks how former welfare recipients have fared in finding employment, reducing dependency, and raising incomes. Recommendations are made for completing and improving the program for moving individuals from welfare to work.