Recent Cuban immigrants and native-born African Americans leaving welfare

Studies of the economic well-being of women leaving welfare generally focus on the efforts of the welfare leaver herself. We argue that it is also important to take into account the employment and earnings of others in her household. Among women in Miami-Dade County (Florida) who left welfare between October 1999 and January 2000, our data show that households with multiple earners fared far better than others across several indicators of economic well-being. More detailed analysis indicates that the multiple-earner strategy was a likely option primarily for leavers whose sociodemographic characteristics already gave them labor market advantages. Important differences exist in welfare-leaving outcomes between Cuban and native-born African Americans, who together account for most of Miami's welfare leavers.