The Role Of Temporary Help Employment In Low-wage Worker Advancement

The authors examine the effects of temporary help service employment on later earnings and employment for individuals participating in three federal programs providing supportive services to those facing employment difficulties. The programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, whose participants are seriously disadvantaged; a job training program with a highly heterogeneous population of participants; and employment exchange services, whose participants consist of Unemployment Insurance claimants and individuals seeking assistant in obtaining employment. They undertake the analyses for two periods: the late 1990s, a time of very strong economic growth, and shortly after 2000, a time of relative stagnation.