Code and Data for Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Colin Gray, Wayfair; Adam Leive, University of Virginia; Elena Prager, Northwestern University; Kelsey Pukelis, Harvard University; Mary Zaki, University of Maryland

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
SNAP_repkit			11/23/2021 03:39:PM

Project Citation:

Gray, Colin , Leive, Adam , Prager, Elena, Pukelis, Kelsey , and Zaki, Mary. Code and Data for Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-01-26. https://doi.org/10.3886/E148041V1

Project Description

Summary: Work requirements are common in U.S. safety net programs. Evidence remains limited, however, on the extent to which work requirements increase economic self-sufficiency or screen out vulnerable individuals. Using linked administrative data on food stamps (SNAP) and earnings with a regression discontinuity design, we find robust evidence that work requirements increase program exits by 23 percentage points (64 percent) among incumbent participants. Overall program participation among adults who are subject to work requirements is reduced by 53 percent. Homeless adults are disproportionately screened out. We find no effects on employment, and suggestive evidence of increased earnings in some specifications.

Funding Sources: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (1R01MD014970-01); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (1122374)

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:
      H53 National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
      I30 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: General
      I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
      J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply

Geographic Coverage: United States, Virginia

Time Period(s): 2007 – 2015

Data Type(s): administrative records data; aggregate data; census/enumeration data; observational data

Related Publications

Download this project

Published Versions

V1 [2023-01-26]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.