Educationally Disadvantaged Older Youth: Earnings

Higher earnings obviously increase income, and earnings are related to the psychological well-being of individuals (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Pong & Ju, 2000). Three programs target increased earnings (JS, JTPA, TPD), although six studies measure the impact of programs on this outcome. The findings are far from conclusive. Two programs had positive impacts (YC, JC), and three had negative impacts (JTPA, JS, LEAP). Participants in Youth Corps were more likely than youths in the control group to have worked for pay during the 15 months following random assignment to the program (participation in the program was intended to last between 6 and 12 months) (YC). At the 30- and 48-month follow-ups, participants in Job Corps had higher weekly earnings than control youths (JC1, JC2). On the other hand, participants and control groups in the Job Training Partnership Act evinced no differences in earnings throughout the 18-month follow-up (JTPA). Further, JOBSTART participants had lower annual earnings than youths in the control group in the first and second years of follow-up (JS1). A study of LEAP found no difference in overall earnings between participants and control group members at the three-year follow-up (LEAP3). Findings for JTPA at the 30-month follow-up were similar (JTPA). Overall, programs for older youths are mixed in their ability to affect participants' earnings.