title: Correlates of employment among welfare recipients: do psychological characteristics and attitudes matter?
abstract: This study examines whether and how a wide range of potential barriers to work, including psychological characteristics and attitudes, are associated with current employment in a recent sample of welfare recipients in Michigan (N = 672). Psychological factors include measures of depressive symptoms, work attitudes, and perceived risks associated with leaving welfare. Over and above demographic, economic, and contextual factors, positive psychological characteristics and attitudes were found to be moderately associated with currently being employed. Implications for welfare-to-work programs and policy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. a-kalil@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalil
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schweingruber
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Seefeldt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000385:Aid to Families with Dependent Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001290:Attitude; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000191:economics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology