Policy & Practice August 2017

The Benefits of Work and the Importance of Subsidized Employment

By russell sykes

W

e are already aware of the economic benefits of work as the best avenue out of poverty: wages at an entry-level job are higher than public assistance benefits in every state; wage supple- mentation programs through the tax system, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit increase income for working families. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits not only aid with food purchases, but they free direct wage income for other purposes. Entering the workforce is the first step toward economic advancement and a career. But we too often overlook the important social benefits of work.