Resource Library

Work Participation Rates for FY 2018

The U.S. Department of Human Services (HHS) issues TANF work participation rates, which measure how well states engage families receiving assistance in certain work activities during a fiscal year. A state must meet an overall (or “all families”) and a two-parent work participation requirement or face a potential financial penalty. The statutory requirements for fiscal year (FY) 2014 are 50 percent for all families and 90 percent for two-parent families, but a state’s individual target rates equal the statutory rates minus a credit for reducing its caseload.

This memorandum transmits the FY 2013 work participation rates.  All States were required to report work participation information for the months of October 2012 through September 2013.

This memorandum transmits the FY 2011 work participation rates.  All States were required to report work participation information for the months of October 2010 through September 2011.

This memorandum transmits the FY 2010 work participation rates.  All States were required to report work participation information for the months of October 2009 through September 2010.

This Information Memorandum transmits the FY 2009 work participation rates. All States were required to report work participation information for the months of October 2008 through September 2009. The FY 2009 national average overall work participation rate was 29.4 percent. Five States, the District of Columbia, and two Territories failed to meet their overall work participation rate requirements. The FY 2009 national average two-parent families work participation rate was 28.3 percent. Six States and one Territory failed to meet their two-parent families work participation requirement. (Twenty-four States, the District of Columbia, and two Territories were not subject to the two-parent work participation requirement due to the manner in which they structured their programs.) The attached tables provide detailed State-by-State information regarding work participation rates and standards, caseload reduction credits, the number of work-eligible individuals, and activities in which individuals participated.

This Information Memoradum explains how the referenced legislation affects award amounts for the FY 2011 TANF Contingency Fund and TANF Supplemental Grant award amounts and provides a table showing the award calculations.

This Information Memorandum informs states that they can download from our website the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) programs and documentation files that will enable a State to calculate its monthly work participation rates from its quarterly transmission files.

This Information Memorandum transmits the work participation tables for FY 2007.

This Information Memorandum transmits the work participation tables for FY 2006.  All States were required to report work participation information for all of the October 2005 - September 2006 fiscal year and are subject to the work participation standards for FY 2006 based on this information.