How to Use the TANF Workfare Wage Calculator
Korea's self-support work program (jahwal geunro) pays a set daily wage by program type, but the U.S. has no identical structure. Instead, most states require Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients to complete a certain number of work-activity hours per month — job search, community service, subsidized employment — in order to keep receiving their monthly cash benefit. Since the benefit isn't framed as an hourly wage, this calculator divides your monthly benefit by required hours to reveal the implicit hourly rate of that work requirement, then compares it to the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.
This comparison is a well-known point of criticism among policy researchers: because states set benefit levels and required hours independently, the implicit rate frequently falls below minimum wage, particularly in states with low maximum TANF benefits. Actual state programs, hour requirements, and exemptions (for parents of young children, for example) vary widely, so use this tool for illustrative comparison only, and confirm your state's specific work requirements with your local TANF office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's self-support work program (jahwal geunro) pays participants a set daily wage for hours worked. TANF workfare instead requires unpaid work activity hours in exchange for the existing cash benefit, so there is no direct hourly wage — this tool computes an implied rate by dividing the benefit by required hours.
It is a commonly cited critique. Because TANF benefit levels are set independently of required work hours by each state, the implicit rate can fall well below the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, especially in states with low benefit amounts and high required hours.