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Fact check: What percent of people receive SNAP benefits actually work
Executive Summary
Most available analyses show that a substantial share of SNAP recipients either work or have earnings at some point during the year, but the exact percent actively employed at any given time varies widely depending on measurement (monthly vs. annual), population subgroup, and exemptions to work requirements. Using the provided sources, a consistent picture emerges: roughly 28–40% of SNAP households report current earned income in single-month snapshots, while a much larger share—often 80% or more—have earnings at some point during a year or are exempt from work requirements for valid reasons (disability, caregiving, etc.) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Why the headline numbers diverge — Monthly versus annual snapshots tell different stories
The most direct USDA figures in the materials show 28% of SNAP households had earned income in FY2023, which is a snapshot of earnings during the month of receipt and therefore understates work over longer periods [1] [2]. Other analyses in the packet emphasize annual measures: several advocacy and policy summaries indicate that a large majority of households with working‑age adults report earnings at some point during the year, with figures like 82% or 91% appearing when researchers look at earnings over 12 months rather than a single month [3] [4]. This difference matters because many people cycle on and off SNAP around short spells of unemployment, unstable schedules, or seasonal work; a monthly count captures only those working in that month, while annual measures better reflect workforce attachment. Understanding which metric is used is essential before interpreting any single percentage.
2. Who counts as “working”? Definitions and exemptions reshape the answer
Policy documents stress that SNAP’s formal work requirement generally targets able‑bodied adults without dependents and defines acceptable activity (30 hours/week or equivalent), but many recipients are exempt due to caregiving, disability, homelessness, schooling, or age [6]. State‑level evidence shows large variation in the share not subject to work rules—examples include Georgia with 57% not subject, Maryland 64%, Texas 67%, Wisconsin 84%—demonstrating that only a subset (roughly 30–40% in many states) are in the cohort expected to be working or meeting an activity requirement [5]. Therefore, aggregate employment rates among all SNAP recipients will be lower because they include people for whom work is not required or feasible.
3. Different studies emphasize different policy narratives — read the framing
Sources provided reflect different institutional frames: USDA and neutral statistical profiles present single‑month earnings shares and emphasize average monthly earnings among those with work [1] [2]. Advocacy organizations focus on workforce participation across the year and stresses that many recipients are working but underpaid or in precarious jobs [7] [4]. Research centers point to a segment of able‑bodied adults not working—one analysis reports about 38% employment in a pre‑pandemic window for work‑capable recipients, implying 62% not working in that specific cohort [8]. Each framing is factually supported by its chosen measure; the policy lesson differs depending on whether the goal is tightening work requirements or addressing low wages and job stability.
4. The middle ground: many SNAP recipients are workers, but many are not in any given month
Combining the snapshots yields a coherent middle ground: roughly one‑third of SNAP households show current earned income in monthly data (around 28–40%), while a far larger share report earnings over a year or during spells of need, reflecting workforce churn and low wages [1] [2] [3] [4]. State exemption data and work‑requirement analyses corroborate that a majority of recipients are exempt from mandatory work activities at the time of application, which helps explain why monthly employment rates are comparatively low even when annual attachment is high [6] [5]. Thus, both the claims that “most SNAP recipients work” and “many SNAP recipients do not work” have elements of truth when the timeframe and population are clarified.
5. What policymakers and the public should ask next — clarifying measures, goals, and tradeoffs
The evidence implies two separate policy questions: do SNAP recipients who can work participate in the labor market, and does SNAP encourage or discourage labor force attachment? The materials note that work requirements have limited effectiveness in increasing employment and that barriers like low pay, childcare, and health largely drive labor market behavior for recipients [9] [7]. Evaluations should therefore use both monthly and annual employment measures, disaggregate by exemption status and household type, and weigh potential harms of stricter work rules against targeted supports to increase stable employment and earnings [9] [4].
6. Bottom line for the original question — concise, evidence‑based answer
If you ask “what percent of people receiving SNAP benefits actually work?” the most defensible, nuanced reply from these sources is: about 28% (single‑month) to roughly 30–40% (broader cross‑section) are working at a point in time, while 80–90% will have earnings at some point over a 12‑month period in many subgroups—and many are exempt from work requirements for valid reasons [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. The gap between monthly and annual figures explains the seemingly contradictory claims in public debate; policy choices should be guided by which of these distinct measures matters for the intended reform [8] [9].