Causal Evidence Rating
The level of confidence in a study's ability to estimate causal impacts.
High Causal Evidence
Strong evidence that the effects estimated in a study are solely caused by the intervention being examined.
Moderate Causal Evidence
Evidence that the effects estimated in a study are caused by, at least in part, by the intervention being examined, but other factors not accounted for in the study might also have contributed.
Low Causal Evidence
Little evidence that the effects estimated in a study are solely caused by the intervention being examined, and other factors are likely to have contributed to the results.
Not Rated
The study is not eligible to receive a causal evidence rating (e.g., implementation analyses and descriptive analyses).
Industry
A classification of a group of companies that are related in terms of their primary business activities. CLEAR classifies industries by their 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, though industry definitions can vary by study. Other categories will be added as they are studied.
Accommodation and food services
NAICS code 72
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting
NAICS code 11
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
NAICS code 71
Construction
NAICS code 23
Educational services
NAICS code 61
Finance and insurance
NAICS code 52
Health care and social assistance
NAICS code 62
Information
NAICS code 51
Manufacturing
NAICS codes 31–33
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
NAICS code 21
Other services
NAICS code 81
Professional, scientific, and technical services
NAICS code 54
Public administration
NAICS code 92
Retail trade
NAICS codes 44 and 45
Transportation and warehousing
NAICS codes 48 and 49
Utilities
NAICS code 22
Wholesale trade
NAICS code 42
Sole proprietor
A sole proprietor is someone who owns an unincorporated business by themselves.
Size
The number of employees in a firm.
Small business
A business that is limited in size and revenue. The definition varies by industry.
Region studied
The area in which studies were conducted, either in the United States or outside of the United States.
International
Studies conducted outside of the United States or studies that include the United States in addition to other countries.
United States
United States
Rural
All population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.
Urban
Densely developed area that includes a densely settled core and adjacent territory.
Attitudes
People's opinions or feelings, particularly about their job, workplace, or employer, though this varies from study to study.
Child labor
Outcomes related to programs designed to reduce employment below the minimum age established in national legislation, though this varies from place to place and study to study.
Compliance
Employer behavior, particularly with respect to employment, compensation, and workplace conditions, that follows state and federal regulations.
Earnings and wages
Payment a person receives in return for work performed during a certain period of time. Payment might be calculated in terms of a salary, commission, hourly wage rate, or piece rate basis, and people might receive payments on various schedules (such as weekly or every other week).
Education and skills gains
Increases in educational accomplishments or skills as reflected by years of schooling; accumulation of educational credits; or receipt of diplomas, degrees, certificates, or certifications.
Employer benefits receipt
The act of a person receiving nonwage compensation from employers such as paid leave, supplementary pay or bonuses, insurance benefits, and retirement benefits.
Employment
Working or obtaining work for pay from an employer, or for profit or fees in one's own business.
Knowledge and Skills for Financial Decision-Making
Workers' knowledge and skills for financial decision making, including but not limited to implementing a savings plan, estimating expenses, managing assets and risks, and setting priorities.
Health and safety
The degree to which workers are free from illness or injury and are in a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in the workplace. This is maintained by identifying and controlling the risks arising from workplace hazards.
Knowledge and Skills for Money Management
Workers' knowledge and skills for money management, including but not limited to balancing a checkbook, managing a credit card, preparing a budget, taking out a loan, and saving for the future.
Public benefits receipt
Receiving benefits from the government, such as unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Security, and Medicare.
Training
Programs and education to build knowledge and skills that prepare people for general employment or specific jobs or occupations.
Outcome findings
Evidence of whether a study showed that the program or intervention of interest benefited participants, was detrimental to participants, or a mix.
Favorable impacts
Effects of a study that benefit program participants. When a study has favorable impacts on an outcome, it finds at least one favorable, statistically significant impact and no unfavorable and statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain.
Mixed impacts
Effects of a study that might be both favorable and unfavorable to program participants. When a study has mixed impacts on an outcome, it finds at least one favorable and one unfavorable statistically significant impact in the outcome domain.
Unfavorable impacts
Effects of a study that are detrimental to program participants. When a study finds unfavorable impacts on an outcome, it finds at least one unfavorable, statistically significant impact and no favorable and statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain.
None
The study found no statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain.
High Causal Evidence
At least 2 credible impact studies (receiving a high or moderate causal evidence rating) each have found favorable impacts on both employment and UI duration with a strong degree of statistical significance (p<.05).
Moderate Causal Evidence
At least 1 credible impact study (receiving a high or moderate causal evidence rating) has found favorable impacts on employment and (either that same study or another study has found) favorable impacts on UI duration with a modest degree of statistical significance (p<.10).
Potentially Promising Evidence
At least 1 impact study (irrespective of study credibility rating) found favorable impacts on employment or UI duration with a modest degree of statistical significance (p<.10).
No Rating
No impact studies of the intervention exist (yet), or impact studies exist, but none show statistically significant favorable impacts on the specified outcomes. More research is needed to generate evidence of effectiveness.
Study Types
A study's objective; that is, whether the authors seek to estimate program effects, describe an aspect of a program, or examine what an intervention looks like in practice.
Causal Impact Analysis
A study design that uses statistical methods to determine the effect of an intervention on labor-related outcomes of interest.
Quantitative Descriptive Analysis
A study design that uses quantitative data to describe some aspect of a program, policy, or intervention; these include cost-benefit analyses or analyses of descriptive statistics.
Implementation Analysis
A study design that examines in depth what an intervention looks like in practice through the experiences of the organization implementing the intervention.
Age
Age-related target populations are defined by how old members of a group are. These populations include youth, adults, and older workers.
Adult
People ages 18 or older, though this varies from study to study.
Older worker
Members of the labor force ages 40 and older, though this varies from study to study.
Youth
Young people ages 15 to 24, though this varies from study to study.
Employment barriers
Conditions that make it harder for a person to find employment than for the average person.
Disability
A physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs or limits a person's abilities.
Justice-involved
Having been formerly arrested, charged, incarcerated, or recently released from a correctional facility (including a juvenile rehabilitation center).
Other barriers
Conditions other than disability or involvement in the criminal justice system that make it harder for a person to find employment than for the average person.
Employment status
A person's connection to the labor force. Other categories will be added as they are studied.
Disconnected youth
A young person age 15 to 24 who is homeless, in foster care, involved in the justice system, or is not enrolled in school, working, or in training.
Dislocated or displaced worker
A dislocated worker is an individual who has been terminated or laid off, or who has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment. These workers include displaced workers who lost or left jobs as a result of permanent closure of, or substantial layoff at, their place of work. Displaced workers can also include the self-employed and displaced homemakers, though this varies from study to study.
Employed
Having a job.
Self-employed
Owning a business or working independently, rather than being employed by someone else.
Unemployed
Not currently working but looking for work.
Sex
The state of being male or female.
Female
Women
Male
Men
Occupational characteristics
Features of occupations, such as the industry or sector the occupation is in, or whether a union represents the occupation, that allow for grouping occupations. Other characteristics will be added as they are studied.
Education professional
A person who works in an educational setting, for example, a teacher, reading specialist, principal, or college professor.
Health professional
A person who works in the health care field, for example, a home health aide, phlebotomist, or nurse.
STEM professional
A person who works in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields.
Unionized
When a group of two or more employees join together to advance common interests such as wages, benefits, schedules, and other employment terms and conditions.
Race/ethnicity
A person's racial groups or linguistic or cultural groups of origin. Other categories will be added as they are studied.
American Indian or Alaska Native
A person who has origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian
A person who has origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American
A person who has origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic of any race
A person who identifies as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish and can be of any race.
Multiracial
A person that identifies with two or more of the five minimum OMB categories (White, Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander).
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
A person who has origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White
A person who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Skill level
The amount of training, knowledge, or education a worker possesses.
High-skilled
Having an advanced level of training, knowledge, or education. Varies from study to study.
Low-skilled
Lacking specialized training or knowledge. Varies from study to study.
Special populations
Groups defined by a specific characteristic, such as skill level, disability status, or veteran status. Other categories will be added as they are studied.
Immigrant
A person who is foreign-born, meaning anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth.
Low income
Having lower levels of earnings or other income than other members of the population. Often, people classified as low-income live at or near the federal poverty level or have insufficient resources to cover basic expenses. This category typically includes recipients of public assistance and people who earn minimum wage. Definitions of low income vary by study.
Migrant Agricultural Worker
A person who is employed in agricultural work of a seasonal or other temporary nature who is required to be absent overnight from his or her permanent place of residence.
Parent
A person with a child or children.
Tribal Affiliation
An individual who has a self-reported tribal affiliation or community attachment to a specific American Indian or Alaska Native tribe.
Veteran or military
Classification of a person who currently serves or previously served in the military.
CLEAR creates study profiles that concisely and systematically summarize key features of each study that it reviews. The profiles' goal is to make original research more accessible.
A "Highlights" section provides a concise summary of the study's:
Research Question
Intervention and setting section
Data and methods
Findings
The body of each profile expands on the Highlights, describing more thoroughly the key features of the intervention being studied, the context in which the study was conducted, the data sources and methods used, and a summary of the main findings.
Descriptions include considerations for interpreting findings. These include considerations regarding how the context in which a study was implemented may be relevant in thinking about how applicable the findings from the study might be to your situation.
Each causal study is assigned a high, moderate, or low evidence rating for findings in each outcome domain, indicating the degree of confidence in the reported impact findings. Profiles explain the rationale for the rating, which can help you decide to what extent you want to base decisions on a particular piece of research.