Resource Library

Work Participation Rates for FY 2018

State agencies administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program and other interested parties

State Work Participation Rates for FY 2016

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 2012 work participation rates.  All States were required to report work participation information for the months of October 2011 through September 2012.

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 Program Instruction requests that States submit data necessary to calculate the work measures previously reported under the High Performance Bonus (HPB) and advise them of the submission timetable for FY 2012.

This Information Memorandum provides a TANF Data Report and SSP-MOE Data Report that have been revised as follows: (1) to correct the definition of a two-parent family; (2) to correct and clarify guidance on the work-eligible individual indicator; and (3) to clarify coding of the data elements “Type of Family for Work Participation” and “Work-Eligible Individual Indicator.”