In many ways, Ģ����Ƶ’s economy is booming.

The state is attracting top-tier businesses, and more Ģ����Ƶns are working than ever before. In June of 2026, almost 5.3 million people held jobs in Ģ����Ƶ. The state’s unemployment rate was also just 3.4%, well below the national average of 4.2%.

And as of the end of 2025, Ģ����Ƶ had about 275,000 job openings.

That all sounds like great news—and it is.

But strong employment numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Many of Ģ����Ƶ’s job-seekers are still wrestling with a big question: “Where can I find a job I can actually get, keep, and live on?”

The Everyday Challenges of the Job Search in Ģ����Ƶ

A lack of motivation is rarely what stands between Ģ����Ƶns and meaningful work. 

Instead, many people are having a hard time figuring out which educational and training programs will open doors to available jobs. They may have general education backgrounds but not the specific skills, certifications, or hands-on experience today’s employers are looking for.

And finding a job that matches a job-seeker’s qualifications is only part of the equation. An employment opportunity also has to work with the realities of their everyday life. Families across Ģ����Ƶ can face barriers to work involving: 

• Access to child care
• Transportation to work
• Re-entry into the workforce after incarceration
• Disability-related challenges
• Distance to resources and good jobs for those in rural areas

These hurdles can make a seemingly good job much harder to take—or to keep—and families have to figure out whether the potential paycheck would really make them better off. 

The income alone might not be enough to overcome the obstacles people struggle with. It could even cause an individual or family to face a benefit cliff, where a small increase in earnings leads to a much bigger decrease in welfare (safety net) support.

There are currently about 800,000 Ģ����Ƶns who aren’t working full time, including:

• Unemployed people who are looking for jobs
• Part-time workers who want to work full time
• People who have given up looking for work

For many of these individuals, the challenges of the search for rewarding full-time work can be complicated and overwhelming. Despite their efforts, they may feel stuck, discouraged, and unsure of how to move forward.

How State Leaders Can Build a Better Path to Work

Ģ����Ƶ policymakers can take much-needed steps to improve the job-search process and help connect more people to promising jobs:

1. Align Workforce Development Programs with Employer Demand: People shouldn’t spend months completing an educational program only to discover there are few openings that they’re qualified for. To prevent this, Ģ����Ƶ’s workforce development programs can coordinate with schools, technical colleges, and employers to structure education and training opportunities so they equip Ģ����Ƶns with the in-demand skills that lead directly to fulfilling careers.
2. Remove the Obstacles That Keep People from Working: To help those who face barriers to work, Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers can continue exploring a to managing government benefits and workforce services. By better integrating welfare and workforce development programs, policymakers can empower state agencies to address beneficiaries’ needs more holistically—connecting people to work while making sure they get the vital support that will enable them to take a job.
3. Make Quality Child Care More Accessible: Ģ����Ƶ’s leaders can help make child care more affordable and available by taking a careful look at rules that may unintentionally make it harder and more expensive for providers to serve families. By considering regulatory changes while preserving quality and safety, policymakers can enable new providers to enter the market, give parents additional choices, and help working families find care that fits their lives. 
4. Eliminate Benefit Cliffs: To reward rather than penalize people’s efforts to work, policymakers can eliminate benefit cliffs by gradually decreasing public assistance as workers earn more. This will encourage people to take meaningful jobs, accept promotions, or work more hours without fear of a steep drop in critical support.

How Local Communities Can Open Doors for Job-Seekers

Nonprofits, churches, and other community groups can also take action to help close the gap between Ģ����Ƶ’s employment numbers and the reality many families experience:

1. Connect Job-Seekers to Employers: Community organizations can work together to identify people who are struggling to find or keep jobs and provide them with access to local work readiness programs and businesses that are hiring. 
2. Help Employers Find Candidates: Just as importantly, community groups can learn what local employers actually need and help them connect with qualified candidates they might otherwise miss. 
3. Provide Continuous Support to Working Families: Getting a job is just one step toward stability and prosperity. Communities can continue to encourage their neighbors and help them adapt as they start new jobs and adjust their family routines. 

The Real Measure of Economic Growth

Ģ����Ƶ has successfully attracted new employers and become a destination for major investments. But the real measure of economic growth isn’t how many jobs are available. It’s whether Ģ����Ƶns can access those jobs and turn them into flourishing lives.

A good job should do more than cover today’s bills. It should create tomorrow’s opportunities. It should make it easier to support a family, save for important purchases, and open doors to upward mobility.

When policymakers and communities come together to help job-seekers, a strong economy can be something even greater: a pathway to stable, family-sustaining work and a brighter future for Ģ����Ƶns across the state.

Additional Resources

Alliance for Opportunity

Alliance for Opportunity

City Journal

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity 

Non-Working Adults Concentrated in Ģ����Ƶ’s Distressed Communities

Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity 

Ģ����Ƶ Department of Labor

Governor Brian P. Kemp, Office of the Governor

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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GCO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on ensuring access to quality education, fulfilling work, and healthy family lives through research, policy analysis, and community initiatives. We advance solutions that increase opportunity and give Ģ����Ƶ families a durable path out of poverty. We are also a founding member of the Alliance for Opportunity, a multi-state coalition focused on improving state-administered public assistance and workforce programs to help Americans achieve lasting opportunity and stability.

The Stronger Workforce for America Act aligns with our work and includes an invaluable option for state flexibility, the Make America Skilled Again Grants. These grants would allow 10 states to implement the model, which would empower them to integrate their safety net and workforce systems.

Utah has had this authority for nearly 30 years, after being grandfathered into the strategy. This has enabled Utah to provide its citizens with both support to meet their immediate needs and a clearer path into the workforce and toward self-sufficiency.

The results of Utah’s One Door policy are impressive. For example, the state has outpaced the national labor force participation (LFP) rate, or the number of working-age people employed or looking for a job, by an average of 5.3%. As of late 2025, Utah’s LFP rate was approximately 67.6%, one of the highest in the nation.

In contrast, Ģ����Ƶ’s LFP rate is 60.6%. Put another way, nearly 40% of Ģ����Ƶns, many of them prime-age men, who can work are choosing not to.

Eric Cochling, GCO’s Chief Program Officer and General Counsel, emphasized the detrimental impact of these statistics and the critical importance of work for a flourishing life:

“A good job offers more than just a paycheck. It provides purpose and stability and is one of the most durable ways to empower people to break the cycle of poverty.”

He also stressed the need for reform: “If we truly want to expand opportunity in Ģ����Ƶ and across the country, individual workforce and safety net programs must start functioning as a true system—one that’s designed to support human dignity and flourishing. The Stronger Workforce for America Act is a much-needed step in the right direction.”

Ģ����Ƶ policymakers are paying attention to the success of Utah’s integrated welfare and workforce system and are seeking opportunities like the Make America Skilled Again Grants to implement similar reforms that benefit both Ģ����Ƶns and the state economy.

As Buzz Brockway, GCO’s Vice President of Public Policy, said:

“The ability to link workforce and safety net systems is key to boosting Ģ����Ƶ’s current trajectory as a leader in economic opportunity. The Make America Skilled Again Grants included in the Stronger Workforce for America Act would give Ģ����Ƶ’s leaders a powerful way to strengthen families, expand the workforce, and set the state on a path to more rapid growth.”

Randy Hicks, GCO’s President and CEO, added:

“Every state deserves the ability to design an integrated system that enables people to thrive. Right now, every wasted hour navigating disconnected programs is an hour that could have been spent building a better future. This bill ensures that states can rethink the status quo and create pathways to opportunity for every citizen.”

Through the changes it proposes, the is poised to make meaningful welfare and workforce reforms possible in Ģ����Ƶ, and GCO strongly urges its enactment.

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Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating durable paths out of poverty for families in Ģ����Ƶ and beyond. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity and promote our solutions to policymakers and the public so that public policy and civil society can effectively and innovatively strengthen family stability, economic mobility, and child opportunity in the communities where lives are lived. 

Send media inquiries to:

Rebecca Primis
Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity
RebeccaP@foropportunity.org 

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But none have mentioned a priority that is not only connected to those issues but has a significant impact on the well-being of millions of Ģ����Ƶ families — welfare reform. And with new federal work requirements set to take effect, policymakers will no longer be able to overlook Ģ����Ƶ’s public assistance programs.

With more than struggling to make ends meet, reforms to the safety net should be a top priority for Ģ����Ƶ’s next leader.

These low-income residents turn to Ģ����Ƶ’s safety net programs for help, including Medicaid for health insurance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for food support and Section 8 for housing assistance.

System fails to move people out of poverty

Both Republicans and Democrats agree these programs are a critical support system for disadvantaged communities.

But disagreement tends to emerge over whether welfare truly serves these people — helping them move from reliance on public assistance to independence and a more fulfilling life.

On that measure, — and its shortfall should capture the attention of Ģ����Ƶ’s next governor.

Not only does Ģ����Ƶ’s welfare system — like nearly all states’ — fail at its stated goal of moving people out of poverty, but it also compels recipients to stay dependent, keeping them in a cycle of poverty that so often defines generations of low-income Americans.

Welfare discourages recipients from getting married before having children and from working — troubling given those factors align with two of the three indicators in the , a series of life milestones that research has shown are the keys to happier lives, stable families and upward mobility (the other factor is obtaining a high school degree).

Ģ����Ƶ’s next governor would do well to recognize that the implications of this flawed system extend beyond just welfare recipients. It has a significant impact on the state’s budget and economy.

Low labor participation rate is a warning

Social safety net programs, particularly Medicaid, are often the biggest expenses in a state’s budget. While the federal government partially funds welfare programs, the states are responsible for a significant share of the costs and are responsible for managing the system. With these high costs, policymakers should assess whether the billions spent on welfare is moving people out of poverty or keeping them on the economic sidelines.

And then there’s the direct impact on Ģ����Ƶ’s workforce. Ģ����Ƶ’s labor force participation rate, or the number of working-age people employed or looking for a job, is . Or put another way, nearly 40% of Ģ����Ƶns, many of them prime-age men, who can work are choosing not to.

A low labor force participation rate is a warning sign for the state’s economic health. Every nondisabled Ģ����Ƶn who opts out of work isn’t just losing income — our state loses tax revenue, businesses lose workers and communities lose engaged citizens who are the foundation of thriving neighborhoods.

Ģ����Ƶ’s next governor should ask, then, why the state’s welfare programs fail to connect beneficiaries to resources they need to help them find a stable job. Unemployment is one of the primary reasons individuals seek assistance in the first place.

And yet when someone in Ģ����Ƶ turns to the welfare system for support, they are not connected to work. Workforce development programs exist, but they oddly operate separately than the social safety net.

Follow other states in integrating workforce aims with welfare

Fortunately, policymakers in Ģ����Ƶ have a road map to turn to called “” which integrates workforce development with welfare. Under this policy, people who access the safety net for help are connected to one caseworker who not only helps them meet their immediate needs but connects them with resources to find a job. Utah passed this reform in the 1990s and now boasts the lowest numbers of people on Medicaid and food stamps — along with consistently low unemployment rates.

Louisiana passed One Door legislation in June. Mississippi created a task force to explore the reform. And Arkansas also recently approved an audit of its workforce and safety net programs to identify needed changes. Ģ����Ƶ should follow the lead of its southern neighbors to the West.

Welfare reform isn’t a second-tier issue. It’s central to sustaining Ģ����Ƶ’s current trajectory as a leader in economic opportunity. Ģ����Ƶ’s One Door gives the next governor a way to strengthen families, expand the workforce and set the state on a path to growth.

Buzz Brockway is the vice president of public policy at the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity.

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This unfortunate reality exists in most states—Ģ����Ƶ included. But there is good news: Some states are beginning to rethink welfare, modeling positive changes that Ģ����Ƶ and other states could adopt.

What’s not working about the current welfare system?

Our nation’s welfare system is anything but simple. There are over 80 programs at the federal level alone, each with different goals and conflicting eligibility rules. For someone who needs help, this maze of programs is slow and overwhelming to navigate. People must visit multiple offices, fill out the same forms again and again, and talk to different caseworkers. 

On top of this, the entire safety net is separate from workforce services that help people gain skills and find jobs. This set-up not only delays aid, but it also takes time and energy away from pursuing long-term solutions, such as stable employment.

Work isn’t just a way to earn income—it’s the gateway to independence and a profound source of dignity and purpose. Most Americans agree that it’s important to have a well-functioning safety net that provides temporary assistance and support for the most vulnerable. But the safety net should be a springboard to a better life, not a trap that holds people back once they’re in it.

How Other States Are Making Welfare Work Better

Arkansas: Evaluating What Works and What Doesn’t

During its recent legislative session, Arkansas passed a law () to set up a task force to review the state’s workforce and social service programs. The idea is simple yet powerful: make sure welfare programs are meeting their intended goals.

By taking stock of these programs, Arkansas aims to find inefficiencies, improve coordination among agencies, and maximize the help provided to those in need. The audit’s results will inform future legislative decisions by offering the state a clear, data-driven picture of what works and what doesn’t. 

Louisiana: Creating One Door to Work 

With a poverty rate of , Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the country—a situation that’s even more difficult to overcome because of .  

In 2025, Louisiana addressed this problem by passing One Door legislation modeled after Utah’s successful safety net design. The reform merges the Temporary Aid to Needy Families program (TANF) and Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs into a new program called LA Works. It will help welfare recipients get the social services help they need while also connecting them to employment opportunities.

This legislation came from an intentional effort by state leaders to understand the outcomes of Louisiana’s safety net system. The first step was a performance audit of SNAP, WIOA, TANF, and CCAP programs. The audit several inefficiencies that confirmed these programs were not meeting their stated goals of providing temporary help while empowering individuals toward self-sufficiency.

The audit led to establishing the Louisiana Workforce and Social Services Reform Task Force. This group developed recommendations for consolidating Louisiana’s welfare and work programs, which ultimately led state leaders to with unanimous bipartisan support. 

With One Door to Work, states can simply the safety net system for both administrators and recipients and give people a clearer path to a good job and a better life. 

Utah: Proving It Can Be Done

. It implemented the One Door model in the 1990s, integrating welfare programs with workforce support systems. Instead of navigating separate offices for benefits and employment services, individuals in Utah use a single, unified system. This approach has consistently yielded results:

• Low Poverty Rates: Utah in the country, thanks in part to its focus on connecting people with skill-building opportunities and job placements.
• Reduced Dependency: The state has of residents dependent on food stamps and Medicaid.
• Economic Prosperity: By prioritizing work and self-sufficiency, with consistently low unemployment rates.

Utah’s success proves that connecting welfare and employment services isn’t just possible; it’s effective. 

The state is continuing to explore innovative ways to help families overcome poverty. Most recently, Utah launched to use funds from the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) program to provide families with financial planning support that helps them navigate the transition from public assistance to other economic opportunities. 

Takeaways for Ģ����Ƶ

Ģ����Ƶ’s welfare system struggles with similar issues—inefficient processes, separate agencies, not enough focus on helping people achieve self-sufficiency.

Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers recently considered , which proposed creating a task force to review and streamline welfare and workforce systems, but it didn’t pass during the last legislative session. This was a missed opportunity—but it’s one lawmakers can revisit that can be revisited in the upcoming session.

As lawmakers consider reforms for the future, here are a few concrete ideas that would shape a better welfare system and a thriving workforce in Ģ����Ƶ: 

• Conduct an audit similar to Arkansas’s to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
• Establish a task force to begin implementing a “One Door” initiative, like those in Louisiana and Utah.
• Advocate for integrating welfare programs with workforce development initiatives at both the state and federal levels.
• Prioritize transparency, accountability, and ease of use in redesigning the system.

Image Credit: Canva
Video Credit: Alliance for Opportunity

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Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers wrapped up the 2025 legislative session with some big decisions that affect our state’s families, students, and workers.

Several new laws were passed to improve education, job opportunities, and access to childcare — while a few important changes didn’t quite make it through.

“The 2025 session included some key victories to improve public school classrooms, expand school choice options, and improve workforce opportunities,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of policy for GCO. “While there were some disappointments on bills that didn’t make it across the finish line, we are pleased with the progress lawmakers made this year in promoting an agenda to allow all Ģ����Ƶns to flourish.”

What Passed: New Ģ����Ƶ Laws in 2025

These bills passed out of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and are headed to the governor for signing. 

: Less phone distraction, more student engagement

K-8 classrooms now face stricter limits on student cell phone use during school hours. The goal of this policy is to cut down on distractions and help kids stay engaged in the classroom.

: More support for charter schools

With this legislation, local boards of education must reconsider denied charter petitions and provide detailed explanations for their decisions. To incentivize approvals, schools receiving charters are eligible for grants of $250,000 a year for three years to help them get started.

and : Helping kids read better

Two bills aimed to boost reading skills among Ģ����Ƶ students. HB 307 updates dyslexia screening and interventions and improves statewide coordination to help at-risk students earlier. SB 93 makes sure future teachers are trained in proven methods to teach reading. State-approved educator preparation programs must align their core curricula with the science of reading—a move that aims to enhance literacy instruction by prioritizing evidence-based methods.

: Bigger tax break for child care

Families can now get a larger credit on their state taxes (up to 40% of the federal tax credit) for expenses related to child and dependent care. By allowing Ģ����Ƶ families to subtract more child care expenses from their annual taxes, this measure eases the financial burden on working families across the states.

: Simplifying licensing for businesses and trades

HB 579 makes it simpler and faster to get professional, business, or trade licenses in Ģ����Ƶ, reducing paperwork, red tape, and other barriers getting in the way of people looking for steady work.

: Free college prep tests for homeschoolers

SB 63 mandates that homeschool students in Ģ����Ƶ must have free access to take AP, SAT, and PSAT exams at their local public schools. Improving access to testing for  all students helps level the playing field for college readiness.

​�ċWhat Didn’t Pass (But Could Still Come Back) 

Despite these successes, some significant bills were left on the table when the legislative session abruptly adjourned early.

: Second chance for job-seekers with a criminal record 

This measure would have helped people with past criminal records get job licenses more easily.  A simpler, fairer process gives returning citizens better opportunities to rejoin  the workforce and build stable livelihoods and futures. However, due to legislative discord, the bill didn’t get a final vote. 

: Making Ģ����Ƶ’s welfare programs work better 

This proposal sought to create a task force to streamline safety net and workforce development systems in Ģ����Ƶ. It was shelved due to disagreements, but it’s on the radar for next year’s session. Connecting welfare and workforce programs should be an immediate priority because it’s one of Ģ����Ƶ’s best opportunities to remove barriers to work and upward mobility for more people. 

Image Credit: Canva

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Crime, social and family instability, lack of quality education, and disengagement from work have all contributed to the sense that better futures are slipping out of reach for everyday Americans.

As these challenges persist, leaders and communities are taking notice of how typical government interventions fall short of meeting communities’ long-term needs. 

Ģ����Ƶ and many other states have incredible opportunities in 2025 to pursue better solutions that tear down social and economic barriers. Looking to the year ahead, here are a few key opportunities for supporting vibrant communities and flourishing lives in Ģ����Ƶ and beyond.

Elected leaders are looking more closely at barriers to work in the welfare system 

With the incoming presidential administration, there’s renewed interest in improving government efficiency. GCO has recommended that addressing the barriers to work in our safety net would be one of the best places to start. 

Congress began considering major safety net reforms in 2024 but ran out of time to pass any meaningful policy changes before the end of the year. In 2025, incoming officials have a fresh opportunity to pursue One Door reforms that would allow states to streamline their safety net and work programs. With these reforms, states could reduce systemic barriers that discourage individuals from growing careers and families. 

GCO and several of our partner organizations are continuing to educate federal lawmakers on how work-focused reforms can support social and economic mobility for safety net recipients. 

But states don’t have to wait solely on federal action to start improving their welfare programs. In 2025, GCO is working alongside several states to help them pursue safety net audits. This process is a first step to identifying inefficiencies and incentives that discourage people from work. It also helps states see where recipients face benefits cliffs—the sudden and often unexpected loss of assistance that occurs with slight increases in wages and leaves recipients financially worse off despite earning more.

In Louisiana, for example, the collaborative efforts of GCO and our partners in identifying ways to enhance their social safety net system. Similarly, our initiatives have inspired lawmakers in Arkansas to push aimed at evaluating and strengthening the state’s workforce and social services infrastructure.

BETTER WORK is empowering community-based pathways to employment 

While we work to remove policy barriers to employment, our BETTER WORK program is harnessing the power of community to help Ģ����Ƶns connect to immediate job opportunities in their own neighborhoods. 

The program’s success in Gwinnett and Columbus counties has shown how employment not only provides income but also restores dignity and purpose. BETTER WORK is set to grow in Gwinnett and Columbus in 2025, and we have begun to collaborate with partners in additional communities that want to use our BETTER WORK model to build their own local efforts to support economic and social mobility. 

“Everyone wants to feel that their life matters to someone, that there’s a reason for their existence beyond just getting through each day. Work provides that sense of purpose. It offers us an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than ourselves, connecting us with others who share our values and goals. Through our work, we become part of a collective effort, united in a common purpose.”

— Kristin Barker, Vice President of Workforce Solutions at GCO

Families are getting a new education option with the Promise Scholarship 

The Promise Scholarship Program is launching this year, offering families in underperforming school districts the chance to access quality education. Families can use $6,500 scholarships to pursue alternative education options, unlocking opportunities for thousands of Ģ����Ƶ children.

Gov. Brian Kemp’s new budget includes full funding for the program. Once appropriated by the Ģ����Ƶ General Assembly, this funding could help an estimated 22,000 kids who meet the eligibility criteria. 

We’re also encouraging lawmakers to adopt better funding formulas to ensure Ģ����Ƶ’s public charter schools can access high-quality facilities. Charter schools have an essential role in addressing diverse educational needs, and improving their infrastructure will ensure more students can thrive.

“Adding Promise Scholarships to the menu of Ģ����Ƶ’s schooling options is a positive step toward an education system that honors every child’s unique situation and prevents a lack of quality education from limiting children’s futures. We look forward to working with the Governor and Legislature to see the program fully funded and implemented.”

— Buzz Brockway, Vice President of Policy for GCO

Legislative sessions hold opportunities for policymakers to strengthen public safety

Public safety is the first step to stability and prosperity in our communities. In the 2024 election, voters made it clear that they want elected leaders to take public safety seriously.

The 2025 legislative sessions offer elected officials the opportunity to focus on ensuring police departments are properly funded, sentences for violent offenders are sufficiently severe, and programming in prisons focuses on helping offenders become productive members of society upon release.

GCO is working with Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers to advance a crime reduction package based on our recommendations for restoring community safety in Atlanta. Our public safety expertise is also aiding leaders in Kentucky as they consider to improve data reporting and reduce recidivism in their criminal justice system. 

“In the 2024 election cycle, voters once again affirmed they want safe communities, less crime, and criminals held accountable. Though rates of certain violent crimes have fallen in recent years, it’s important to think about this decline as a response to positive policy change. Policymakers cannot take their eye off the ball now.”

— Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives

Communities are getting support to empower strong families

Empowering parents is at the core of our mission. The Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program equips parents with tools to nurture strong family connections, fostering children’s academic and personal success.

With expansion plans for 2025, we’re excited to bring this life-changing program to even more parents across Ģ����Ƶ, ensuring future generations thrive in stable and supportive environments.

“Empowering parents strengthens the bond between parent and child,” noted Joyce Mayberry, GCO’s Vice President of Family. “When parents feel confident and equipped, they can create a stable and nurturing home environment. This type of environment not only supports children’s well-being but also fosters academic success. Together, these efforts can transform the trajectory of a family’s future. Strong parenting within the home radiates outward, positively impacting neighborhoods, schools, and ultimately building stronger, more resilient communities.”

“When parents feel confident and equipped, they can create a stable and nurturing home environment. This type of environment not only supports children’s well-being but also fosters academic success. Strong parenting within the home radiates outward, positively impacting neighborhoods, schools, and ultimately building stronger, more resilient communities.”

— Joyce Mayberry, Vice President of Family

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PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—Yesterday, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House passed ​, which establishes a crucial demonstration waiver for a handful of states to implement safety-net reforms similar to Utah’s “One Door” policy. As a member of the coalition group the Alliance for Opportunity, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity has played an important role in educating lawmakers on the perils of the current social safety net that creates barriers to work and upward mobility.

H.R. 6655 revises the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for the first time since 2014. The bill would give four states leeway to explore a “One Door” safety-net reform strategy similar to Utah’s model enacted in the 1990s. Utah consolidated federal workforce development and social safety-net programs into a single state entity and fully integrated the safety-net system into workforce development programs.

“This is an important first step toward improving the social safety-net in all 50 states and breaking down barriers to work and a flourishing life,” said Randy Hicks, president and CEO of the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity. “The next step is to broaden the scope to allow every state to explore ways to integrate workforce and safety-net programs. These reforms are badly needed. There are 8.9 million open jobs across the U.S., and the workforce participation rate hasn’t fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. We must create a safety-net system that doesn’t trap people in generational poverty but provides a pathway to a better life.”

Under H.R. 6655, the five-year innovation waiver is only available to states with populations of less than six million and a labor force participation rate below 60%. According to the Alliance for Opportunity, currently only nine states fit the bill: Louisiana, West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Maine, Kentucky, and New Mexico.

Under the current version of WIOA, states are barred from implementing such reforms. Utah was grandfathered in and is the only exception.

The bill contains another potential pathway toward a One Door model as well. Three years after enactment of the law, any state’s governor can consolidate workforce programs into one entity, but doing so would require the approval of half of the chairpersons of local workforce boards.

“These reforms would advance the end goal for every work-capable individual in a safety-net program to participate in effective employment and training programs,” added Hicks. “Numerous studies show that the benefits of work extend well beyond finances, encompassing overall wellbeing and a host of other benefits. One Door reforms will help ensure we have a system that encourages people to find work and improve their lives.”

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Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating opportunities for a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life for all Ģ����Ƶns. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity in each of these pathways, promote our solutions to policymakers and the public, and help effective and innovative social enterprises deliver results in their communities.

Schedule An Interview

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U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, has previously introduced a “One Door” bill in the House, a version of which passed out of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in December.

Despite a historically low unemployment rate across the country, states are still facing a workforce crisis with millions of able-bodied Americans on the economic sidelines. Our nation’s workforce participation rate has not fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2023, 41 million Americans relied on food stamps to make ends meet and nearly 90 million Americans were enrolled in Medicaid.

Many of these Americans remain stuck in a safety-net system that simply doesn’t work. , introduced by Sen. Romney on Feb. 28, would allow states the flexibility to implement Utah’s consolidation of federal workforce development and social safety-net programs into a single state entity. The end goal is to help work-capable recipients reintegrate more quickly into the workforce, empowering them to achieve the independence, stability, and purpose that are crucial to human well-being.

“Every state should have the flexibility to design an integrated workforce and safety-net model that enables people to succeed,” said Randy Hicks, president and CEO of the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity. “Every hour a safety-net recipient spends finding their way through the system is an hour they can’t spend working their way into opportunity. The One Door to Work Act allows states to create a system that works for people.”

The dozens of programs that make up the system have different and, at times, competing goals, inconsistent rules, and overlapping groups of recipients. Often, recipients must resubmit the same information multiple times for multiple programs with the aid of multiple caseworkers. This disconnect fosters despair and keeps recipients in a cycle of poverty—as every hour spent navigating the system is an hour not spent pursuing a path out of it.

What’s more, there is often a disconnect between safety-net programs and welfare-to-work initiatives. The end result is that people stay mired in generational poverty rather than receiving a helping hand to live a better life. The One Door to Work Act would free up state governments to explore ways to create a safety net that works for all citizens and doesn’t cause generational poverty.

“There are 8.7 million open jobs in this country, and the workforce participation rate has not fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. States need the flexibility in the One Door to Work Act to use our workforce dollars to move our people off the sidelines,” said Greg Sindelar, executive director and chief operating officer of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which is a member of the Alliance for Opportunity.

 “A robust workforce is not only integral to a thriving state economy, but also to its social fabric,” added Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, also a member of the Alliance. “When a person is unemployed for longer than six months, it is associated with decreased well-being, even measurably affecting mortality. The One Door to Work Act gives workers, employers, and taxpayers the system that they deserve.”

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Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating opportunities for a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life for all Ģ����Ƶns. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity in each of these pathways, promote our solutions to policymakers and the public, and help effective and innovative social enterprises deliver results in their communities.

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Ģ����Ƶ’s labor force continues to show its historic resilience, as there are tens of thousands of jobs available across the Peach State. , there were 313,000 job openings, according to the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Labor.

Even so, there are problems. Although the state boasts , our state’s labor force participation rate stands at 61.5% as of December 2022, compared to 62.2% prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. These percentages mean a considerable number of Ģ����Ƶns who could work are not doing so.

Part of the reason is due to design flaws in our nation’s social safety-net system. The complexity and requirements of programs like food stamps, housing assistance, and medical benefits turn these programs into poverty traps instead of bridges to work and independence.  

There is a policy states can use to give people an easier path out of the safety net and into work. It’s called the One Door policy, and the solution is in the name: This reform transforms how the safety net delivers support by streamlining multiple disconnected programs into a single welfare and workforce program.

The One Door policy solves the overwhelming barriers of the safety-net system

The truth of the matter is that our nation’s welfare system is a fragmented hodgepodge of programs. The dozens of programs that make up the system have different and, at times, competing goals, inconsistent rules, and overlapping groups of recipients. Often, recipients must resubmit the same information multiple times for multiple programs with the aid of multiple caseworkers. This disconnect fosters despair and keeps recipients in a cycle of poverty—as every hour spent navigating the system is an hour not spent pursuing a path out of it. 

At the same time, there is often a disconnect between safety-net programs and welfare-to-work initiatives. The end result is that people stay mired in generational poverty rather than receiving a helping hand to live a better life.

How many people are affected in Ģ����Ƶ? For the 2022 calendar year, more than 1.6 million Ģ����Ƶns were enrolled in the food stamps program, while more than 2.4 million were on the Medicaid/CHIP program—two of the largest safety-net programs. That compares to a statewide population of 10.9 million people. 

These groups of millions are made up of real individual people who have their own futures and potential. When a safety-net system discourages work and family stability—two of the most important building blocks of a better future—people lose hope. As individual states and as a country, we can better address the suffering of poverty, unemployment, and fragmented families and relationships by creating a simpler, more humane system that rewards work and supports family and community stability. 

For individuals on welfare, every hour spent navigating the system is an hour they can’t pursue a path out. The One Door policy would change that. 

Proposed legislation (House Bill 738) takes the first step to bring the One Door policy to Ģ����Ƶ

In this environment, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity team is on the vanguard of educating about safety-net reform. A key way we are doing so in Ģ����Ƶ is by pushing forward this legislation to create a One Door task force in the state, .

The task force would create a plan to integrate the safety net with workforce development, One Door approach in Utah. Other states, including West Virginia and Louisiana, are weighing similar proposals. So why not here in Ģ����Ƶ?

People across the political spectrum agree that work is key to lifting people out of poverty. Toward this end, the goal of the task force authorized by the bill is to “study the intersection of workforce development programs and safety net programs.” The Task Force on Workforce and Safety Net Integration, housed within the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ, would be composed of nine members appointed from various corners of the government.

Ģ����Ƶ has already taken important steps forward to improve our safety-net and workforce development systems. The Ģ����Ƶ Gateway is a unified enrollment system for food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Childcare and Parent Services program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, but is limited to only those programs. Ģ����Ƶ has also taken steps to consolidate workforce programs under the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ.

But to remain a great place to live, work, and raise a family, Ģ����Ƶ must make sure all its citizens are participating in the economic growth we are experiencing. That’s why we need HB 738. 

How would Ģ����Ƶ’s One Door policy task force work?

The duties of the task force would include:

• Developing best practices for the state agencies and departments involved with administering workforce and safety-net programs.
• Exploring ways to merge state agencies or departments to better serve Ģ����Ƶ citizens.
• Exploring how to best integrate the delivery of Ģ����Ƶ’s various workforce development programs and safety-net programs.
• Creating implementation strategy for an integrated delivery system, including a customer-driven platform, simplified program governance and operations, and safeguards to ensure program integrity.

A final report is due to the governor and the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2025.

What problems does the task force solve?

By forming a task force, Ģ����Ƶ can explore further consolidating service delivery via Ģ����Ƶ Gateway and the Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ—and how those entities and others can better coordinate service delivery. 

The task force will also prepare Ģ����Ƶ in the event that Congress reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which could include the process allowing individual states to pursue a Utah-style One Door consolidation of welfare and work support services. 

The great news is that Ģ����Ƶ doesn’t have to wait on Congress to act. Through the task force and other means, the state can explore additional means of consolidation, up to and including consolidating entire departments. Ģ����Ƶ can also provide job training to more of its citizens, fueling additional economic growth.

The exciting part is the end result of these changes—more Ģ����Ƶns who will have the opportunity to escape systemic poverty, achieve self-sufficiency, and climb the economic ladder to create a better, more prosperous future for themselves and their children.

The post A Better Safety Net in Ģ����Ƶ: Mapping the One Door Policy (House Bill 738) Would Be a Big Step Forward appeared first on For Opportunity.