Joanna M. Reed
Jennifer Pashup
Emily K. Snell
Northwestern University, Institute for Policy Research

This article uses qualitative data from the Gautreaux Two Housing Mobility Study to assess how the use of vouchers to move low-income families out of segregated, high-poverty neighborhoods into more affluent ones affects female movers' labor force participation. We compare movers' and nonmovers' labor market experiences before they move, finding similar employment experiences and histories of holding low-wage service jobs interrupted by periods of welfare receipt. Primary obstacles to working are childcare responsibilities, illness and health issues (including pregnancy), transportation difficulties, and layoffs from temporary jobs. Respondents have positive attitudes toward employment. We find that moving had little or no impact on most study participants' employment situations. We explore this outcome by profiling four groups that describe the employment situations of most respondents after moving and discuss why moving seems to have little effect on employment. This article pays special attention to how gender influences voucher holders’ labor market participation.

Voucher Use, Labor Force Participation, and Life Priorities: Findings From the Gautreaux Two Housing Mobility Study