Identifying and Combating Bias in TANF-Funded Employment Services

One goal of TANF employment services is to improve equitable and stable employment outcomes for job seekers. However, employment services driven by biased service delivery approaches might exacerbate and reinforce existing disparities within the labor market.  

This brief provides strategies that staff members can use while working with TANF participants to increase equitable access to employment opportunities. Additionally, the brief describes strategies that TANF program leaders can use to combat biases at an organizational level.  

• Both structural and individual biases can influence the employment services provided by TANF programs and the interactions between staff and participants.  

• Individual biases held by program staff interacting with participants can perpetuate stereotypes of certain groups of individuals and lead to lower employment outcomes for the participant.  

• Systemic factors such as occupational segregation and labor market inequities can unintentionally steer TANF staff and participants towards jobs or educational pathways based on the participants background, such as race and gender.  

• Recognizing how these factors can negatively impact employment services interactions and knowing where these individual biases lie are important steps in working toward producing more equitable employment outcomes for TANF participants that offer long-term and stable economic growth. 

The project team conducted an in-depth review of the literature for the brief. This included a structured review of peer-reviewed literature as well as non-academic research reports.  

Recommendations: 

Authors provide strategies for both individual employment staff and TANF program leadership to identify, combat, and address biases.  

Strategies for individual employment staff: 

• Identify and acknowledge implicit biases. 

• Use a strengths-based approach and understand resources around accommodations and language accessibility. 

• Prioritize jobs with long-term economic mobility and growth. 

• Consider the unique circumstances of each participant. 

Strategies for TANF program leadership: 

• Conduct anti-bias trainings. 

• Use data to assess outcomes and identify gaps or disparities. 

• Use valid assessments to avoid perpetuating biases in the labor market. 

Jen, Jeffery, Lorraine Perales, and Asaph Glosser (2023). Identifying and Combatting Bias in TANF-Funded Employment Services, OPRE Report # 2023-183, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.