IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aaea26/404777.html

The Effects of Reinstating ABAWD Work Requirements Following National Suspensions on SNAP Participation and Employment

Author

Listed:
  • Wilson, Kaitlyn
  • Jones, Jordan W.

Abstract

Work requirements are a central feature of U.S. welfare program design. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) imposes a time limit on benefit receipt for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who do not meet work requirements. This time limit was suspended nationally during the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, with staggered reimplementation occurring at the county level following each suspension. We construct a novel county-month panel dataset on ABAWD waiver status and pair it with American Community Survey microdata to estimate the effects of time limit reimplementation using a triple-difference design that exploits variation across counties and age groups on either side of the work requirement eligibility cutoff. We find that reimplementation significantly reduced SNAP participation among ABAWDs subject to work requirements following the Great Recession suspension and increased employment and labor force participation among these adults in both reimplementation periods. We also identify impacts on similar older adults who were not subject to the work requirements, especially in the form of reduced SNAP participation, suggesting the role of indirect costs of par- ticipation associated with work requirements. Estimates on ABAWD SNAP benefits and earned income are consistent with the participation and employment findings, and mechanism analysis suggests the participation decline is at least partly driven by ABAWDs moving to employment and exiting SNAP—the generally intended effect of work requirements.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilson, Kaitlyn & Jones, Jordan W., 2026. "The Effects of Reinstating ABAWD Work Requirements Following National Suspensions on SNAP Participation and Employment," 2026 Annual Meeting, July 26 - 28, 2026, Kansas City, Missouri 404777, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea26:404777
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.404777
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/404777/files/173540_173548_115232_The_Effects_of_Reinstating_ABAWD_Work_Requirements_-_4282026.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.404777?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Han, Jeehoon, 2022. "The impact of SNAP work requirements on labor supply," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. James P. Ziliak & Craig Gundersen & David N. Figlio, 2003. "Food Stamp Caseloads over the Business Cycle," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 69(4), pages 903-919, April.
    3. Robert A. Moffitt, 2003. "The Negative Income Tax and the Evolution of U.S. Welfare Policy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 119-140, Summer.
    4. Bruce D. Meyer & Wallace K. C. Mok & James X. Sullivan, 2015. "Household Surveys in Crisis," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 29(4), pages 199-226, Fall.
    5. repec:mpr:mprres:7119 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Jones, Jordan W. & Todd, Jessica, E. & Toossi, Saied, 2025. "The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report," Economic Information Bulletin 361282, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    7. James P. Ziliak & Craig Gundersen & David N. Figlio, 2003. "Food Stamp Caseloads over the Business Cycle," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 69(4), pages 903-919, April.
    8. Michael C. Barth & David H. Greenberg, 1971. "Incentive Effects of Some Pure and Mixed Transfer Systems," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 6(2), pages 149-170.
    9. David C. Ribar & Marilyn Edelhoch & Qiduan Liu, 2010. "Food Stamp Participation among Adult‐Only Households," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 77(2), pages 244-270, October.
    10. Peter Ganong & Jeffrey B. Liebman, 2018. "The Decline, Rebound, and Further Rise in SNAP Enrollment: Disentangling Business Cycle Fluctuations and Policy Changes," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 153-176, November.
    11. Colin Gray & Adam Leive & Elena Prager & Kelsey Pukelis & Mary Zaki, 2023. "Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 306-341, February.
    12. Esa Eslami & Kai Filion & Mark Strayer, 2011. "Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2010," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a748e33a1cf4400b86b386017, Mathematica Policy Research.
    13. Monkovic, Mia & Ward, Ben, 2025. "Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2023," USDA Miscellaneous 358301, United States Department of Agriculture.
    14. Katherine Cuff, 2000. "Optimality of workfare with heterogeneous preferences," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(1), pages 149-174, February.
    15. David C. Ribar & Marilyn Edelhoch & Qiduan Liu, 2010. "Food Stamp Participation among Adult-Only Households," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 77(2), pages 244-270, October.
    16. Timothy Besley & Stephen Coate, 1995. "The Design of Income Maintenance Programmes," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(2), pages 187-221.
    17. repec:mpr:mprres:6410 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Robert Moffitt, 2006. "Welfare work Requirements with Paternalistic Government Preferences," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(515), pages 441-458, November.
    19. repec:mpr:mprres:7120 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. repec:mpr:mprres:7388 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Brett, Craig, 1998. "Who Should Be on Workfare? The Use of Work Requirements as Part of an Optimal Tax Mix," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 607-622, October.
    22. Besley, Timothy & Coate, Stephen, 1992. "Workfare versus Welfare Incentive Arguments for Work Requirements in Poverty-Alleviation Programs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 249-261, March.
    23. Paul Beaudry & Charles Blackorby & Dezsö Szalay, 2009. "Taxes and Employment Subsidies in Optimal Redistribution Programs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(1), pages 216-242, March.
    24. Marcelo Ortiz-Villavicencio & Pedro H. C. Sant'Anna, 2025. "Better Understanding Triple Differences Estimators," Papers 2505.09942, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2025.
    25. Esa Eslami & Kai Filion & Mark Strayer, 2011. "Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Households: Fiscal Year 2010 (Summary)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 46b4de04d94f443b871fc2d6a, Mathematica Policy Research.
    26. Timothy F. Harris, 2021. "Do Snap Work Requirements Work?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 72-94, January.
    27. Peter Mueser & David Ribar & Erdal Tekin, 2019. "Food Stamps and the Working Poor," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number fswpoor.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Timothy F. Harris, 2021. "Do Snap Work Requirements Work?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 72-94, January.
    2. Timothy F. Harris, 2018. "Do SNAP Work Requirements Work?," Upjohn Working Papers 19-297, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    3. Lee Sungjin, 2025. "What Happens When We Become Age 18? SNAP Work Requirement and SNAP Participation," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 25(4), pages 935-958.
    4. Robert Moffitt, 2006. "Welfare work Requirements with Paternalistic Government Preferences," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(515), pages 441-458, November.
    5. Tomer Blumkin & Yoram Margalioth & Efraim Sadka, 2013. "The desirability of workfare in the presence of misreporting," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(1), pages 71-88, February.
    6. Han, Jeehoon, 2022. "The impact of SNAP work requirements on labor supply," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Claus T. Hansen & Torben Tranaes, 2000. "Optimal Workfare in a Society of Workers and Non-Workers," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 0758, Econometric Society.
    8. Brett, Craig & Jacquet, Laurence, 2011. "Workforce or Workfare?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 8/2011, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    9. Dodini, Samuel & Larrimore, Jeff & Tranfaglia, Anna, 2024. "Financial repercussions of SNAP work requirements," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    10. Alari Paulus, 2016. "The antipoverty performance of universal and means-tested benefits with costly take-up," ImPRovE Working Papers 16/12, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    11. Greg Leblanc, 2004. "Optimal Income Maintenance and the “Unemployable”," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 6(3), pages 509-537, August.
    12. Lohse Tim, 2014. "The Objections against Workfare Revised," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 65(1), pages 95-118, April.
    13. Peter Fredriksson & Bertil Holmlund, 2006. "Improving Incentives in Unemployment Insurance: A Review of Recent Research," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 357-386, July.
    14. Robin Boadway, 2011. "Viewpoint: Innovations in the theory and practice of redistribution policy," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 44(4), pages 1138-1183, November.
    15. Torben M. Andersen & Michael Svarer, 2014. "The Role of Workfare in Striking a Balance between Incentives and Insurance in the Labour Market," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 81(321), pages 86-116, January.
    16. Joel Cuffey & Timothy K. M. Beatty & Elton Mykerezi, 2022. "Work Effort and Work Requirements for Food Assistance among U.S. Adults," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 294-317, January.
    17. Craig Brett & Laurence Jacquet, 2015. "Workforce or workfare? The optimal use of work requirements when labour is supplied along the extensive margin," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 48(5), pages 1855-1882, December.
    18. Yui Nakamura, 2015. "A Cost‐Effective Workfare System Succeeding in Attracting Applicants to Labor Markets," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(3), pages 240-252, September.
    19. Drenik, Andres & Perez-Truglia, Ricardo, 2018. "Sympathy for the diligent and the demand for workfare," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 77-102.
    20. Volker Meier, 2008. "Workfare in an efficiency wage model," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 165-178, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:aaea26:404777. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaeaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.