Increased TANF Caseloads Across the Country Linked to Rising Unemployment
Welfare caseloads are on the rise across the country, as they have been here in Washington State. According to a new survey
conducted by the Wall Street Journal and the National Conference of
State Legislatures, 23 of the 30 largest states in the nation saw
caseloads increase over the past year for Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF).
One explanation for the increase in TANF
caseloads is the rising unemployment rate. As people’s unemployment
benefits run out and the labor market remains constricted, some are
turning to welfare as a stopgap until the economy improves.
As
the WSJ map below shows, the biggest increases in TANF caseloads are in
states with some of the worst joblessness. For example, Oregon’s
caseloads were up by 27 percent in May from the previous year. At the
same time, the state’s unemployment rate had risen to 12.4 percent.
Here in Washington State, TANF caseloads jumped by more than 18 percent
between May 2008 and 2009. Unemployment steadily climbed during that
time period to 9.4 percent.
