Since its founding, MDRC’s work has focused on the critical challenges of identifying the most effective ways to improve labor market outcomes for individuals facing barriers to employment, and understanding how policies to promote work affect the well-being of vulnerable families.  more

How Can We Build Better Programs for Disconnected Youth? Nearly one in seven 18- and 19-year-olds are disconnected from the worlds of school and work. In a labor market that values education and skills, these young people are at a serious disadvantage. How can we build on the early promise of several current youth programs? How Can We Help Ex-Prisoners Reenter the Labor Market? Pathways Magazine: Does NYC's Experiment with Conditional Cash Transfers Offer Lessons for the U.S. Safety Net? MDRC to Conduct National Evaluation of YouthBuild MDRC Participating in Two Social Innovation Fund Projects

Making the Transition Interim Results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Evaluation Interim results from a random assignment evaluation of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, an intensive, residential program for high school dropouts, show that young people who had access to ChalleNGe were much more likely than those in the control group to have obtained a high school diploma or a General Educational Development certificate. They were also somewhat more likely to be working, in college, or enlisted in the military. Benefit-Cost Findings for Three Programs in the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Project How Effective Are Different Approaches Aiming to Increase Employment Retention and Advancement? Final Impacts for Twelve Models Providing Health Benefits and Work-Related Services to Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries Six-Month Results from the Accelerated Benefits Demonstration