Welfare Reform and the Working Poor: An Investigation of Labor
Market Connections Among Welfare Workers in Los Angeles County
The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation has awarded a
generous grant to the Economic Roundtable for research into the labor market
dynamics of welfare recipients in Los Angeles County. The goals of
this project are to better understand (1) the movement of welfare workers
into and out of jobs, (2) industry connections and employment outcomes
of welfare workers over the past eight years, (3) factors associated
with earnings above the poverty level, full-time job status and stable
employment, (4) work-residence dynamics, and (5) connections between the
overall regional labor market and employment of welfare recipients. A
report on this research will be released by early summer of 2000
Status: Project Underway
Job Creation and Sustainable Employment for Low Wage Workers
Purpose: This project grows out of an eight-year review of the
employment experiences of welfare-to-work participants in Los Angeles
County. It will be implemented by an alliance of organizations formed to
link grassroots concerns with research capabilities, technical knowledge,
and economic development resources. In each of six communities it will
move sequentially from investigating the skills of local job seekers,
to identifying the industries that need those skills, to building
consensus among local residents about the kind of jobs should be created and
how they should be created, to mobilizing resources to implement local
strategies, to recruiting and training local workers to fill newly
created jobs. It is designed to build sustainable employment at a
neighborhood level, responding to employment possibilities and aspirations of
unemployed and low-wage workers in each community. A central premise is
that economic development and family well being are closely connected,
and by understanding specific workers we give coherence, legitimacy,
pragmatism, and long-term viability to job creation initiatives.
Status: Awaiting Funding
Fuel Cell Buyers Consortium
Purpose: The Fuel Cell Buyers Consortium was formed by a coalition
of local and state government entities, public utilities and transit
agencies in response to research done by the Economic Roundtable. The
Consortium is administered through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority. Four interrelated public interests in the Los
Angeles region are addressed through the Consortium: (1) improving air
quality through zero-emission power sources, (2) creating new high
technology jobs, (3) capturing economic benefits from fuel cell
manufacturing, and (4) improving bus service through the Advance Technology
Transit Bus (ATTB). The Economic Roundtable is providing policy analysis and
staff support for efforts both to commercialize the ATTB and develop a
fuel cell power plant for the vehicle.
Status: Project Underway
Long Beach Industry Analysis
Purpose: The Economic Roundtable is continuing a six-year program
of technical support to the City of Long Beach in analyzing labor market
information to identify growing companies and their training needs. The
project includes designing a business survey program for capturing data
related to workforce development, training needs, layoff aversion, and
business retention.
Status: Project Underway
Labor Market Information for Housing Authority Residents
Purpose: The Economic Roundtable has begun a project working with
the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles to develop, analyze and
apply labor market information that will assist Housing Authority
residents in preparing for and finding viable employment. This sectoral
analysis is tailored to identify opportunities, training requirements, and
specific potential employers for jobs that will enable residents with
multiple barriers to employment to move toward economic
self-sufficient.
Status: Project Starting Up
Project Paycheck
Purpose: Project Paycheck is a pilot program designed to achieve
long-term, successful housing, drug recovery and employment outcomes
based on carefully designed, comprehensive, sustained services for
chronically addicted homeless individuals who are motivated to overcome
addiction and rebuild their lives. A coalition of organizations are joint
stakeholders in this program, working together to integrate resources and
achieve successful outcomes. The program provides up to one year of
housing, case management, integrated services, and realistic opportunities
for permanent employment and housing after program completion.
Status: Project Underway
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