Annual ORR Reports to Congress - 2003
Partnerships to Improve Employment and Self-Sufficiency Outcomes
In FY 1996 ORR undertook a joint effort with States to improve State performance in refugee employment and self-sufficiency outcomes. States and California counties have been required since FY 1996 to establish annual outcome goals aimed at continuous improvement of performance along the following six outcome measures:
-
Entered Employment, defined as the entry of a refugee into unsubsidized employment.
-
Terminations Due to Earnings, defined as the termination of a cash assistance case (RCA, TANF, and general assistance) due to earned income.
-
Reductions Due to Earnings, defined as a reduction in the amount of cash assistance that a case receives as a result of earned income.
-
Average Wage at Placement, calculated as the sum of the hourly wages for the full-time placements divided by the total number of individuals placed in employment.
-
Job Retentions, defined as the number of persons working for wages (in any unsubsidized job) on the 90th day after placement. This is a measure of continued participation in the labor market, not retention of a specific job.
-
Entered Employment with Health Benefits, defined as a job placement with health benefits offered within six months of employment, regardless of whether the refugee actually accepts the coverage offered.
ORR tracked State and county performance throughout the year, with FY 2003 performance reported as follows:
-
Entered Employment totaled 36,251, a 16 percent decline from the number recorded in FY 2002 (43,259).
-
Terminations due to Earnings totaled 9,660, a 17 percent decline from FY 2002 (11,584).
-
Reductions due to Earnings totaled 2,640, a 27 percent increase from FY 2002 (2,073).
-
Average Wage at Placement ($8.01) declined less than one percent from FY 2002 ($8.02).
-
Employment Retention totaled 25,518, an 18 percent decrease from FY 2002 (31,246).
-
Entered Employment with Health Benefitsreached 18,164, a 21 percent decrease from FY 2002 (23,072).
In FY 2003, the caseload decreased by one percent. A caseload is defined as the unduplicated number of active employable adults enrolled in employment services. The rate of job placements decreased by eight percent, and 70 percent of refugees who found employment retained their employment for ninety days, a two percent decrease from FY 2002. Sixty percent of full-time placements offered health insurance, compared to sixty four percent the year before.
Seven States and ten California counties exceeded their entered employments from FY 2002. Also, seven States and ten California counties increased the number of cash assistance terminations over the previous year.
Twenty-seven States and five California counties improved their job retention rate over the previous year. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, and North Dakota reported retention rates of 100 percent. Retention rates of over 90 percent were reported in Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont.
FY 2003 saw significant improvement in the quality of jobs found for refugees. Twenty-three States and three California counties reported higher wages at placement than in FY 2002. In FY 2003, twenty-one States and three California counties reported higher wages than the average aggregate wage for all States ($8.01). Arkansas ($11.16), Colorado ($9.04), Connecticut ($9.26), District of Columbia ($8.65), Illinois ($8.60), Iowa ($8.21), Maine ($8.22), Maryland ($8.24), Massachusetts ($10.14), Minnesota ($8.62), Missouri ($8.45), New Jersey ($8.80), New York ($8.62), North Carolina ($8.33), Pennsylvania ($8.13), Rhode Island ($9.10), South Dakota ($8.37), Tennessee ($8.13), Vermont ($9.15), Washington ($8.38), Wisconsin ($8.55), San Francisco ($11.37), Santa Clara ($8.87), and Yolo ($8.27) reported the highest average wage at placement.
ORR
also tracked the cost per job placement in each State
and California county. This measure is the ratio of the
total funds used by the State for employment services
divided by the number of refugees entering employment
during the fiscal year. The State average unit cost was
$2,407 per job placement. The range was quite wide, however,
from a low of $426 per placement (Oklahoma) to a high
of $8,252 per placement (Washington). In the California
counties, unit costs ranged from $952 per placement (Contra
Costa) to $5,958 per placement (Yolo). California's overall
average unit cost was $3,171.
Shown below is a summary of the FY 2002 and FY 2003 outcomes
for all States and by State. The caseload presented for
each State and county consists of the number of refugees
with whom a service provider had regular and direct involvement
during the fiscal year in planned employment-related activities
for the purpose of assisting the refugee to find or retain
employment. For terminations, reductions, and retentions,
each goal and outcome is also described as a percentage
of entered employments. Some States opted to express terminations
and reductions as a percentage of refugee cash assistance
recipients who entered employment, rather than as a percentage
of all entered employments. Health benefit availability
is presented as a percentage of full-time entered employments.
| All States (Aggregate) | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
81,057
|
80,526
|
||
| Entered Employment |
43,259
|
53%
|
36,251
|
45%
|
| Terminations |
11,584
|
27%
|
9,660
|
27%
|
| Reductions |
2,073
|
5 %
|
2,640
|
7%
|
| Average Wage |
$8.02
|
$8.01
|
||
| Retention |
31,246
|
72%
|
25,518
|
70%
|
| Health Benefits |
23,072
|
64 %
|
18,164
|
60%
|
| Alabama | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
74
|
61
|
||
| Entered Employments |
74
|
100%
|
61
|
100%
|
| Terminations |
4
|
50%
|
19
|
90%
|
| Reductions |
1
|
13%
|
2
|
10%
|
| Average Wage |
$6.95
|
$6.90
|
||
| Retentions |
66
|
100%
|
65
|
100%
|
| Health Benefits |
41
|
69 %
|
43
|
80%
|
| Arizona |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
1,068
|
1,201
|
||
| Entered Employments |
867
|
81%
|
664
|
55%
|
| Terminations |
487
|
81%
|
38
|
12%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$7.60 743 762 |
2%
82% 96% |
3
$7.41 552 418 |
1%
74% 68% |
In
FY 2003 cash assistance termination and reduction rates
are based on entered employments of refugees actually
receiving assistance.
| Arkansas | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
6
|
2
|
||
| Entered Employments |
6
|
100%
|
2
|
100%
|
| Terminations |
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0 $11.16 6
6 |
0%
100% 100% |
0
$11.16 1 1 |
0%
100% 100% |
In FY 2003 cash assistance terminations were based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.
| Colorado | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
576
|
838
|
||
| Entered Employments |
360
|
63%
|
301
|
36%
|
| Terminations |
240
|
83%
|
153
|
89%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
3
$8.68 284 301 |
1%
44% 97% |
12
$9.04 277 121 |
7%
92% 50% |
Colorado
expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions
as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered
employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.
| Connecticut | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
655
|
552
|
||
| Entered Employments |
493
|
75%
|
181
|
33%
|
| Terminations |
98
|
70%
|
16
|
41%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
43
$7.86 270 370 |
30%
55% 89% |
9
$9.26 152 65 |
23%
61% 47% |
Connecticut expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.
| Delaware | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
45
|
35
|
||
| Entered Employments |
17
|
38%
|
7
|
20%
|
| Terminations |
10
|
77%
|
2
|
33%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$8.55 8 14 |
0%
18% 88% |
2
$8.00 4 0 |
33%
67% 0% |
Delaware
has presented its data on terminations as a percentage
of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.
| Dist. of Columbia | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
483
|
460
|
||
| Entered Employments |
346
|
72%
|
300
|
65%
|
| Terminations |
82
|
79%
|
100
|
72%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
22
$9.15 293 180 |
21%
97% 71% |
38
$8.65 273 144 |
28%
84% 64% |
| Florida | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
25,517
|
22,887
|
||
| Entered Employments |
10,745
|
42%
|
11,001
|
48%
|
| Terminations |
3,404
|
88%
|
4,549
|
90%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$6.81 9,087 4,195 |
0%
87% 43% |
0
$6.92 7,218 5,576 |
0%
63% 55% |
Due
to low assistance payment levels, almost all refugees
who enter employment terminate assistance. |
|
Georgia |
FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
2,998
|
8,502
|
||
| Entered Employments |
1,870
|
62%
|
1,067
|
13%
|
| Terminations |
40
|
42%
|
7
|
22%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$7.80 1,461 1,203 |
0%
72% 68% |
1
$7.81 318 142 |
3%
56% 14% |
In
FY 2003 Georgia presented its data on terminations and
reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients
who entered employment.
| Hawaii | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
144
|
76
|
||
| Entered Employments |
72
|
58%
|
76
|
100%
|
| Terminations |
3
|
86%
|
0
|
0%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$11.09 2 |
0%
65 % 100 % |
0
$6.48 22 34 |
0%
29% 65% |
| Idaho | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
445
|
119
|
||
| Entered Employments |
158
|
82%
|
94
|
79%
|
| Terminations |
94
|
77%
|
53
|
91%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$6.72 192 99 |
0%
92% 77% |
0
$7.03 93 53 |
0%
92% 82% |
Idaho's
benefits are very low, most full-time placements result
in termination, rather than reduction of benefits.
| Illinois | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
2,200
|
1,764
|
||
| Entered Employments |
1,380
|
63%
|
978
|
55%
|
| Terminations |
253
|
47%
|
222
|
63%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
166 $8.02
882 795 |
31%
65% 70% |
87
$8.60 741 609 |
25%
68% 75% |
Illinois
has presented its data on reductions and terminations
as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered
employment.
| Indiana | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
320
|
129
|
||
| Entered Employments |
252
|
79%
|
129
|
100%
|
| Terminations |
8
|
18%
|
0
|
0%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
0
$7.00 158 160 |
0%
91% 63% |
0
$7.75 129 129 |
0%
100% 100% |
| Iowa | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
1,183
|
594
|
||
| Entered Employments |
687
|
58%
|
409
|
69%
|
| Terminations |
154
|
47%
|
81
|
49%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
81
$8.05 613 422 |
25%
89% 89% |
47
$8.21 379 200 |
28%
78% 86% |
In
Iowa, welfare recipients may receive an unreduced check
for up to four months after employment begins. As a consequence,
the State recorded few cash assistance reductions.
| Kansas | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
279
|
150
|
|||
| Entered Employments |
141
|
51%
|
82
|
55%
|
|
| Terminations |
9
|
30%
|
3
|
60%
|
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
5
$8.30 115 107 |
8%
86% 84% |
2
$7.93 71 62 |
40%
76% 82% |
|
|
Kentucky |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
673
|
636
|
||
| Entered Employments |
491
|
73%
|
452
|
71%
|
| Terminations |
332
|
69%
|
213
|
75%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
31
$7.45 481 408 |
6%
92% 83% |
16
$7.75 323 231 |
6%
96% 51% |
| Louisiana | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
158
|
125
|
||
| Entered Employments |
100
|
63%
|
82
|
66%
|
| Terminations |
27
|
60%
|
9
|
41%
|
| Reductions Average Wage Retentions Health Benefits |
18
$6.44 80 44 |
40%
80% 50% |
5
$6.89 74 40 |
23%
90% 57% |
| Maine | FY 2002 | FY 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caseload |
246
|
217
|
|||
| Entered Employments |
187
|
63%
|
120
|
55%
|
|
| Terminations |
39
|
35%
|
| ||