Summit County Job Program Could Save Taxpayers $43.7 Million, New Data Shows

Summit County’s NEXT workforce program is projected to save the public sector $43.7 million over the next decade. That figure comes from a new evaluation released Oct. 27. The Summit County Department of Job and Family Services and technology partner Unite Us released the evaluation jointly. The new number is more than double an earlier estimate. A case study released in May of last year projected $21 million in savings. What the NEXT Program Does NEXT is the name of Summit County’s Benefit Bridge program. The 18-month initiative helps working families build earning power and rely less on public benefits over time. Participants receive steady case management and financial wellness education. They can also earn financial incentives for reaching goals, such as finishing job training or meeting education milestones. Caseworkers connect families with community organizations for help with childcare, car repairs and other barriers to employment. Why the Savings Estimate Doubled The first study relied on conservative earnings estimates. Those numbers were drawn from research on similar programs. For the follow-up, Unite Us researchers had direct access to the county’s program data. That included participants’ actual earnings after leaving the program. Those earnings came in well above the original estimates. Median annual income for participants rose by $12,000 by program exit. Projected forward, each participant is expected to generate about $102,930 in public value over the next 10 years. That value comes from lower public benefit spending and higher tax revenue. Across 425 program exits, the total reaches $43.7 million. “When we started this work, our goal was simple: make sure every taxpayer dollar in this program benefits the families who need it most. This evaluation shows that coordination isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a critical fiscal strategy,” said Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro. Shapiro added that the savings figure sends a message to other governments. “A projected $43.7M in savings tells other counties and states that investing in the infrastructure to coordinate care pays for itself many times over,” she said. Participants Set More Goals and Reached Them Faster The evaluation compared two groups. One group had services coordinated through the Unite Us platform. The other group went through NEXT before the county adopted the platform. Participants coordinated through Unite Us created more than twice as many goals. They also reached those goals an average of 23 days faster. The county tracks progress with an assessment covering employment, finances, transportation, education, family stability and social support. Participants take it at entry, at exit and every six months in between. Unite Us participants started with slightly lower scores, 69.4 compared with 69.9. Even so, they finished higher, at 72.8 compared with 71.6. Their average gain was 3.4 points, about 1.7 points more than the comparison group. According to the report, that difference equals building roughly one more month of household savings. Gains grew the longer participants stayed in the program. Scores rose 3.1 points at six months and 4.7 points at 12 months. At 18 months, the average gain hit 8.6 points. The report compares that to building more than three months of emergency savings. Better Tracking of Public Dollars Before the switch, NEXT staff tracked referrals, payments and case notes through spreadsheets and email. There was no single system of record. That made it hard to confirm services were delivered or to catch duplicate payments. Now every referral, case note and payment sits in one shared system. Both county staff and community partners can see it. The report says this creates clearer audit trails and lowers the risk of duplicate or unsupported payments. One NEXT staff member described the change in the report. “Previously, we were shifting around with SharePoints and Excel sheets and emails. Now [with Unite Us], it’s all in a one-stop-shop when it comes to being able to determine what’s going on for that member when it comes to provider engagement.” Unite Us CEO and Co-founder Taylor Justice said the results reflect real people. “A $43.7M projected return tells a powerful story, but what stands out to me is where that return comes from: real people reaching their goals faster and building long-term self-sufficiency and financial stability,” Justice said. Results From the First Study The original May case study focused on how the program ran day to day. It found 88% of end users reported improved program capacity. It also found the platform saved 591 administrative hours. The new evaluation set out to see whether those gains showed up in participants’ lives. According to the county and Unite Us, they did.