Publications
The Hamilton Project produces and commissions policy proposals and analyses to promote broad-based economic growth by embracing a significant role for well-designed government policies and public investment.
Papers
A primer on SNAP work requirements
An explainer on work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) summarizes the research on work requirements and their efficacy.
Economic Security & Inequality
Employment & Wages
Social Insurance
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Posts
Work permit applications suggest prior immigration is still pushing up labor supply—for now
Employment & Wages
Immigration
Posts
Higher new Census population estimates will affect the employment report
Employment & Wages
Immigration
Posts
Low-income workers experience—by far—the most earnings and work hours instability
Economic Security & Inequality
Employment & Wages
Explore All Publications
Strengthening SNAP as an automatic stabilizer
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is both an effective antipoverty program and a natural automatic stabilizer, expanding when the economy is…
How do work requirement waivers help SNAP respond to a recession?
Work requirements impede SNAP’s dual role as a safety net and automatic stabilizer. This economic analysis provides new evidence about how waivers to these rul…
Workers could lose SNAP benefits under Trump’s proposed rule
Following the announcement of a plan to reform SNAP rules, Fellow Lauren Bauer offers analysis suggesting that strict enforcement of work requirements will san…
Health conditions keep many SNAP participants out of the labor force
As federal and state policymakers continue to seek solutions to bring more Americans into the workforce, such as imposing and expanding work requirements on mi…
Work requirements and safety net programs
This paper characterizes the types of individuals who would face work requirements in SNAP and Medicaid, describes what their work experiences are over a two-y…
Harnessing the US intergovernmental grant system for place-based assistance in recession and recovery
The $700 billion U.S. intergovernmental grant system is often poorly targeted to areas that are struggling. Tracy Gordon proposes reforms to Medicaid and other…
Who loses SNAP benefits if additional work requirements are imposed? Workers.
Millions of Americans could lose their SNAP benefits if Congress adopts additional work requirements that mandate SNAP beneficiaries work at least 20 hours per…
Employment status changes put millions at risk of losing SNAP benefits for years
To investigate the extent of exposure to additional work requirements for SNAP participants, we describe monthly employment stability and find considerable chu…
