Economic Self-Sufficiency and Life Stability One Year After Starting a Social Enterprise Job

In 2011, REDF placed social enterprise (SE) employment at the heart of its five-year strategy to transform how people with many employment barriers transition into the workforce. SEs are mission-driven businesses focused on hiring and assisting people who face barriers to work.1 In support of its strategy to leverage these organizations, REDF launched a new portfolio, with funding from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and support from corporations, foundations, and individuals. REDF also committed to conducting an evaluation to support the success of the SE approach and selected Mathematica Policy Research to design and implement the evaluation. The evaluation, which is called the Mathematica Jobs Study (MJS), is structured to address the general research question, How do social enterprises serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment? Its focus is economic self-sufficiency and life stability for SE workers hired from April 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013. The analysis looks at participants’ employment as the primary indicator of self-sufficiency, although the study also examines participants’ income and support from government. In addition, the study examines five outcomes related to life stability: (1) housing (most important), (2) recidivism, (3) physical health, (4) mental health, and (5) substance abuse.