Alabama	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	108		127
Entered Employments	95		91
Terminations	0	0%	0	0 %
Reductions	0	0 %	0	0 %
Average Wage	$6.27		$6.50
Retentions	87	92%	72	100%
Health Benefits	43	51%	34	37%

In Alabama, arriving refugees seldom go on assistance. Its entered employments thus produced no cash assistance terminations and no reductions.

Arizona	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	2,175		1,736
Entered Employments	1,448		1,530
Terminations	663	89%	750	50%
Reductions	3	1 %	0	0%
Average Wage	$6.27		$6.39
Retentions	1,195	85 %	997	65%
Health Benefits	1,278	90 %	1,383	94%

In FY 1998 cash assistance termination and reduction rates are based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Arkansas	FY 1998			FY 1999
Caseload	12			12
Entered Employments	12			12
Terminations	0	0%		4	100%
Reductions	0	0 %		0	0%
Average Wage	$6.38			$7.18
Retentions	19	63 %		8	100%
Health Benefits	12	100 %		12	100%

In FY 1999 cash assistance terminations were based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Colorado	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	890		648
Entered Employments	515		400
Terminations	172	74 %	156		88%
Reductions	36	15 %	22		15%
Average Wage	$7.35		$7.60
Retentions	474	89 %	402		93%
Health Benefits	422	91 %	328		89%

Colorado expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.

Connecticut	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	1,051		996
Entered Employments	459		658
Terminations	133	29 %	134		86%
Reductions	99	22%	21		14%
Average Wage	$7.34		$7.69
Retentions	334	73%	345		58%
Health Benefits	310	90%	302		52 %

Connecticut expresses cash assistance terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment, rather than all refugees who entered employment.

Delaware	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	19		18
Entered Employments	13		16
Terminations	3	50%	9		60%
Reductions	1	17%	2		13%
Average Wage	$8.12		$8.57
Retentions	12	100%	14		93%
Health Benefits	5	5%	14		93

Delaware has presented its data on reductions and terminations as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Dist. of Columbia	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	678		264
Entered Employments	280		183
Terminations	255	91 %	167		41%
Reductions	25	9%	16		9%
Average Wage	$7.71		$8.07
Retentions	232	72%	121		65%
Health Benefits	182	71%	124		74%

All full-time placements result in termination of benefits.

Florida	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	23,090		18,738
Entered Employments	10,929		7,526
Terminations	2,216	79%	2,903		100%
Reductions	0	0%	0		0%
Average Wage	$6.02		$5.74
Retentions	7,475	74%	6,219		80%
Health Benefits	4,447	42%	2,213		31%

Due to low assistance payment levels, almost all refugees who enter employment terminate assistance.

Georgia	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	1,519		1,994
Entered Employments	999		1,356
Terminations	322	80%	366		82%
Reductions	3	1%	0		0%
Average Wage	$6.58		$7.50
Retentions	977	76%	859		68%
Health Benefits	827	83%	936		70%

In FY 1999 Georgia presented its data on terminations and reductions as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Hawaii	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	84		72
Entered Employments	19		22
Terminations	5	26 %	7	32%
Reductions	14	74 %	4	18%
Average Wage	$6.75		$5.59
Retentions	15	93 %	30	86%
Health Benefits	7	47 %	18	100%

Idaho	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	355		437
Entered Employments	199		258
Terminations	167	100%	155		78%
Reductions	0	0 %	0		0%
Average Wage	$6.16		$6.61
Retentions	198	92 %	201		87%
Health Benefits	122	73 %	153		70%

Idaho’s benefit amount is very low; therefore, most full-time placements result in termination, rather than in a reduction of benefits.

Illinois	FY 1998			FY 1999
Caseload	6,258			5,859
Entered Employments	2,982			3,654
Terminations	802	58 %		866	53%
Reductions	588	42 %		676	41%
Average Wage	$7.76			$7.99
Retentions	1,731	58 %		1,924	53%
Health Benefits	1,072	43 %		1,800	64%

Illinois has presented its data on reductions and terminations as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Indiana	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	386		665
Entered Employments	344		317
Terminations	116	43%	64	45 %
Reductions	0	0%	4	3 %
Average Wage	$7.87
Retentions	139	34 %	$7.70	91 %
Health Benefits	135	42 %	300	91 %

Indiana has presented its data on reductions and terminations as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Iowa	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	1,428		1,286
Entered Employments	1,014		754
Terminations	538	53 %	386		51%
Reductions	30	4 %	24		3%
Average Wage	$6.36		$7.57
Retentions	818	81 %	603		80%
Health Benefits	659	73 %	473		72%

In Iowa, welfare recipients may receive an unreduced check for up to four months after employment begins. As a consequence, the State recorded few cash assistance reductions.

Kansas	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	632		432
Entered Employments	438		284
Terminations	145	84 %	75		71 %
Reductions	8	5%	19		18 %
Average Wage	$7.61		$7.90
Retentions	423	90%	284		89 %
Health Benefits	320	84%	187		81 %

Louisiana	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	316		368
Entered Employments	274		274
Terminations	46	17 %	63		23%
Reductions	4	1 %	28		10%
Average Wage	$5.81		$5.85
Retentions	232	79 %	203		72%
Health Benefits	80	31 %	82		34%

The number of terminations are low because many clients never access cash assistance, but are placed directly into employment. Few reductions are reported because Louisiana pays cash assistance at a level where any income from employment makes the client wholly ineligible for cash assistance.

Maine	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	208		305
Entered Employments	144		237
Terminations	58	40 %	87		37%
Reductions	25	17%	62		26%
Average Wage	95		$7.21
Retentions	$6.60	69 %	196		83%
Health Benefits	61	59 %	93		53%

Many jobs are of a temporary and seasonal nature and therefore do not result in cash assistance terminations.

Maryland	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	679		589
Entered Employments	477		501
Terminations	124	78 %	149		78%
Reductions	0	0 %	0		0%
Average Wage	$7.09		$7.44
Retentions	397	95 %	437		76%
Health Benefits	334	85 %	373		86%

The Cash assistance termination rate is based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance. The State’s cash assistance information system is not yet able to identify refugee reductions in cash assistance due to earnings.

Massachusetts	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	1,876		1,775
Entered Employments	1,256		1,083
Terminations	550	44%	520		48%
Reductions	123	10%	145		13%
Average Wage	$7.95		$8.75
Retentions	796	63	776		72
Health Benefits	734	73%	741		87%

Michigan	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	2,319		2,794
Entered Employments	1,620		1,828
Terminations	466	66 %	471		69%
Reductions	139	20%	146		21%
Average Wage	$6.93		$7.44
Retentions	1,170	72 %	1,265		76%
Health Benefits	1,199	85 %	1,445		88%

Cash assistance termination and reduction rates are based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Minnesota	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	1,783		2,611
Entered Employments	1,136		1,423
Terminations	406	36 %	373		26%
Reductions	183	16 %	309		22%
Average Wage	$7.84		$8.07
Retentions	1,036	85 %	1,088		78%
Health Benefits	782	86 %	1,073		91%

Mississippi	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	463		416
Entered Employments	229		278
Terminations	0	0 %	17	100%
Reductions	0	0 %	0	0%
Average Wage	$6.19		$8.10
Retentions	206	86 %	222	70%
Health Benefits	99	46 %	138	51%

In FY 1999 the cash assistance termination rate is based on entered employments of refugees actually receiving assistance.

Missouri	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	2,338		2,246
Entered Employments	1,489		1,413
Terminations	460	92 %	458		96%
Reductions	21	4 %	17		4%
Average Wage	$7.10		$7.14
Retentions	1,359	81 %	857		78%
Health Benefits	1,148	82 %	1,136		83%

Due to Missouri’s low payment standards, minimum wage employment generally results in a termination of benefits, rather than a reduction in assistance.

Montana	FY 1998		FY 1999
Caseload	280		292
Entered Employments	93		73
Terminations	11	46 %	33		51%
Reductions	9	38 %	22		34%
Average Wage	$6.38		6.51
Retentions	54	57 %	38		62%
Health Benefits	12	20 %	9		12%

Montana’s reductions and terminations are presented as a percentage of cash assistance recipients who entered employment.

Nebraska	FY 1998			FY 1999
Caseload	261			190
Entered Employments	261			190
Terminations	261	100 %		117	95%
Reductions	0	0 %		6	5%
Average Wage	$7.11			$7.15
Retentions	271	94 %		207	86%
Health Benefits	223	85 %		150	79%

Placement at entry-level wages results in termination of benefits due to Nebraska’s low benefit rate.

New Hampshire	FY 1998			FY 1999
Caseload	199			445
Entered Employments	197			334
Terminations	197		100 %	251		100%
Reductions	0		0 %	0		0%
Average Wage	$6.95			$7.54
Retentions	198		95 %	273		98%
Health Benefits	118		80 %	194		59%

No reductions in assistance due to earnings were recorded because the New Hampshire formula will terminate any full-time employee except in the case of very large families.