Describes the characteristics of the roughly 10,000 participants who enrolled in the 18 SPI projects from January 1999 through March 2003. Participants faced significant barriers to employment, including severe disabilities and limited education and employment experience. Two-thirds were...

The paper examines how unemployment among African American teenage males influences rates of family poverty. The authors suggest that, if the employment and earnings of young black males were similar to those of young white males, the poverty rate among black families would be substantially reduced.

Describes the employment services used by participants in 12 of the state projects. The most common service delivered was benefits counseling, which helps participants understand the effect of employment on an individual’s cash benefits, health care coverage, and eligibility for multiple...