| Abstract: | The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS),enacted by the Family Support Act of 1988, provides an arrayof services intended to increase the earning capacity and labor-forceparticipation of welfare recipients. Because the law gives statesdiscretion in creating JOBS programs, a ten-state, three-yearstudy of JOBS implementation is under way. During federal fiscalyear 1991, the first year in which all states must operate JOBS,most of the ten states made incremental changes to the programsthey had in place before JOBS. They designed their programsto be flexible enough to cope with uncertainty about the typesand availability of service components. As a group, they spentenough to draw down 43 percent of their federal JOBS funds.To obtain education, training, and employment services, statewelfare agencies are contracting with many organizations. Moststate welfare agencies are also obtaining resourcesfrom otheragencies without payment. Although states generally implementedJOBS with little fanfare, they all planned to meet the federalmandates for program participation and targeting of expendituresin 1991. |
