Work Requirements and Employment: Evidence from SNAP (Job Market Paper)

Abstract: Work requirements in order to receive public assistance are widely implemented and debated policies. Despite this, there is not yet consensus on how they affect employment outcomes. I use administrative data from a state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) records to study this question. Exploiting the reintroduction of work requirements and the fact that only certain adults are subject to them, I find that work requirements reduce participation in SNAP and increase employment. I also find evidence that the work requirements have stronger effects on employment for long-term users of SNAP.

Oh SNAP, Do Minimum Wages Reduce Food Security?

Abstract: The minimum wage and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are widely studied anti-poverty tools, but are seldom studied in tandem. Theoretical predictions of how the minimum wage affects food security are unclear, in part because the minimum wage may affect SNAP receipt. I estimate the effect of the minimum wage on food security and SNAP benefits for low-education households. I find that for low-education households the minimum wage has a null effect on food security, while for households headed by a black or Hispanic single mother, the minimum wage reduces food security. Related to this, I find that the minimum wage reduces SNAP benefits among these same households. Notably, I find little to no evidence that this reduction in food security is a result of a loss of employment or household income, and conclude that the minimum wage reduces food security for households likely to be on SNAP through its reduction of SNAP benefits.

The Effects of Fiscal Decentralization on Public Services: Evidence from SNAP in Wisconsin

Abstract: Fiscal decentralization is a widely and deeply studied practice, but not with respect to the provision of public assistance programs. Using plausibly exogenous variation in the level of administration for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Wisconsin, I estimate the effects of fiscal decentralization on allocative efficiency and other program metrics. I find evidence of preference matching by county agents, and show that a 10 percentage point increase in the Democratic vote share in a county’s SNAP administrative geography increases take-up rates by 9.5%. I find no lasting effects at the state level on take-up rates, administrative costs, or error rates.

How do Effects of Public Assistance Work Requirements Change Based on Private Assistance Available? Evidence from SNAP

Influencing Purchases Through Benefit Restrictions: Can Policy Makers Improve Nutrition by Restricting SNAP?

SNAP Work Requirements and Labor Supply: An Algorithmic Instrumental Variables Approach