A ‘Work Ethic’ Trickle-Down Effect?

Welfare reform is doing more than just getting people into the work force; it is helping parents hand down a “work ethic” to their children [“Back on Her Feet,” Aug. 19].

According to recent research by University of Chicago economist Casey B. Mulligan, there is a strong correlation between the success this generation of welfare recipients has in finding jobs and the likelihood that their children will be employed as adults 20 years later.

A child’s work ethic, the study found, is determined to a great degree by how much the parents actually work. Dr. Mulligan writes that “more work and less welfare program participation by parents will . . . encourage work and discourage program participation by children.”

In light of Dr. Mulligan’s study, the story of Rhoni Smith, a former welfare recipient and mother, is all the more poignant. Today, working as a data specialist for UCLA, Smith is contributing to society, and her regular employment is setting an example for her son to follow.

Now that we see there is a multi-generational benefit in moving people from welfare to work, the federal government has an even greater incentive to avoid enacting policies that impede job creation, such as minimum wage and tax increases.

RICHARD BERMAN

Executive Director

Employment Policies Institute

Washington