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Title: Homelessness & Employment

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2004

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Abstract: Faced by a growing homeless population, researchers over the last twenty years have begun to study the determinants and outcomes of homelessness. For the most part, two camps have set up regarding what factors most heavily influence ones movement into homelessness. On the one side, researchers argue that individual characteristics are most important for determining homelessness, but variations between studies have led some to look to structural factors. In particular, researchers on the other side have examined the lack of affordable housing and economic factors as important elements of homelessness. Based on several studies that examine homelessness and employment, this study used data from the 2000 US Census to explore what variables most influence employment status amongst the homeless. In particular, I examine whether age, gender, race, education, disabilities, transportation, ability to speak English, and connection to a social network affect the probability of finding employment. I find that age, gender, race and disabilities significantly affect the probability of a homeless persons ability to find employment. I propose that government can best increase the entrance of the homeless into the labor force by providing them further housing, education, job training, and support programs that will help them overcome the barriers to employment.

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Authors: Baba, Kevin

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Poverty and Welfare

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