UKCPR affiliates receive inaugural WorkRise grant

A research project led by UKCPR Research Affiliate Bradley Hardy, along with UKCPR Director James Ziliak, and UKCPR Research Affiliate Charles Hokayem is among the inaugural slate of grantees in the WorkRise initiative led by the Urban Institute.

WorkRise funds research that will help advance economic mobility and equity for U.S. workers, especially those in low-wage jobs. The nine projects reflect WorkRise’s goal to develop evidence to inform policy and help rebuild the labor market after the pandemic and its economic consequences. WorkRise aims to become a resource to help shape an equitable and resilient labor market.

Hardy, an associate professor and department chair at American University, will serve as principal investigator on a project titled “Cash and near-cash Safety Net programs and labor market outcomes.” His proposal with Ziliak and Hokayem was among 343 applications to the initial round of funding from the Urban Institute.

The research will analyze the labor market and income impacts of Safety Net programs that provide cash and near-cash benefits, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The research will have an emphasis on outcomes among Black and Latinx populations and will assess how participation in these safety net programs affect labor market outcomes. The researchers will also address how policy reforms could improve the economic conditions of workers and families who are at a persistent structural disadvantage.