<Emphasis Type="Italic">Do jobs programs work?</Emphasis>: A review article

During the 109th Congress (2003–2004), policymakers in Washington plan to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which is the primary authorization legislation for employment and training programs operated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The literature evaluating the effectiveness of federal employment and training programs casts considerable doubt on the ability of these programs to improve participants ' incomes. The policy debate is centered on procedural changes to the delivery of the same job training services that performed inadequately in the past. Thus, current reforms are hobbled by remnants of previously failed federal employment and tra in ing programs.