How are publicly-funded jobs different from “workfare”?
Individuals who work in publicly-funded jobs are paid wages and considered to be employees of the state, local, or non-profit agency administering the program. Welfare recipients who are assigned to “workfare” projects receive their regular welfare benefits in exchange for their work effort. They are not paid wages (and therefore do not qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit), and they often are not granted the full rights or treated with the full measure of respect accorded to regular workers. Public job creation programs give participants the dignity and the financial rewards of a wage-paying job while enhancing their long-term employment prospects. Evaluation results suggest “workfare” programs do not yield the same positive results.
