Work, Welfare, and the Financial Well-Being of Poor Women after Migration

Shelley K. Irving, Pennsylvania State University

The objective of this research is to study the employment and income outcomes of migrant women in the U.S., particularly with respect to outcomes by migration type, marital status, family income, and welfare receipt. Using pooled individual-level data from the 1996 and 2001 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation merged with state-level data from the Welfare Rules Database and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this study uses difference-in-difference models to examine the impacts that moving within or across state borders, being married versus unmarried, being poor versus non-poor, and receiving versus not receiving TANF benefits have on changes in employment and income among U.S. women. Descriptive data show differences between interstate and intrastate movers and non-movers with respect to outcomes of interest. Intrastate movers worked a higher percentage of months throughout the SIPP panel, compared to non-movers, while these numbers are more similar between interstate movers and non-movers.