This paper sets out to explore the role of the employer in successful welfa
re-to-work transitions. We demonstrate the uses of administrative records i
n identifying the types of firms that repeatedly hire welfare recipients. W
e also develop sets of criteria to identify "successful" outcomes. Our resu
lts suggest that there is substantial untapped potential for using administ
rative data to identify not simply which industries hire welfare recipients
but those that are most likely to provide recipients with long-lasting job
s, or jobs accompanied by sustained removal from welfare dependency.