What Percentage of SNAP Recipients Work?

As of late 2025, the question what percentage of SNAP recipients work is important and revealing: a majority of households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) include someone who works during a year—even if not every recipient is actively employed in a given month.

Understanding the Question: What Does “Work” Mean?

In exploring what percentage of SNAP recipients work, clarity around the term “work” matters. Does it mean any paid employment during a year? Or only employment in the same month they receive benefits? Does it count any household member’s job or just the individual recipient?

• Some analyses look at monthly employment among recipients.
• Others expand to include annual earnings for households receiving SNAP.
• Some focus on individuals who are work-capable adults (excluding older adults, people with disabilities, or caregivers).
• Many count whether anyone in the SNAP household worked, rather than the specific recipient.

Because of these varying definitions, different figures appear—even though the broad picture remains consistent.

Latest Figures: Work Among SNAP Households

When asked what percentage of SNAP recipients work, here are the key trends:

• Among SNAP households that included at least one non-disabled, working-age adult, about 86 percent had earnings during the year.
• In a snapshot of a given month, just over 50 percent of non‐disabled adult recipients were working in that month; however, about 74 percent worked within the 12 months before or after that month.
• Among SNAP households with children and a working-age adult, roughly 89 percent included at least one member who worked in a 25-month window.
• Looking at all SNAP households in a given fiscal year, about 28 percent reported earned income in a given month; among those with children, that rate was about 55 percent.

These findings show two important truths: First, many SNAP-participating households do include workers. Second, the share working at any given moment is lower than the share working at some point over the year.

Why the Percentage Varies So Much

When you dig into “what percentage of SNAP recipients work,” these are some of the reasons the number isn’t one fixed figure:

• Monthly versus annual measurement: If you check whether someone is working in the same month as SNAP participation, you’ll get a lower number. If you check whether they earned anything during a year, you’ll get a higher number.
• Household versus individual: Counting any working adult in the household will yield a higher percentage than requiring the specific SNAP recipient to be employed.
• Work-capable adults only: Many SNAP participants include older adults (over 60), people with disabilities, or full-time caregivers—and these individuals are less likely to be working. If you exclude them, the working percentage rises.
• Definition of “work”: The term may include full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal work. Some work may be minimal or irregular.
• Cyclical participation: Many SNAP participants work at times, then lose income or hours, then return to SNAP. So a snapshot may underrepresent the working side of their situation.

The Real-Life Picture for Working Families

For many U.S. families receiving SNAP, the reality is this:

• They may have at least one adult working, but that work may not cover all household expenses.
• Work might be part-time, seasonal, unstable, or in industries with low wages and unpredictable hours.
• SNAP often functions as a supplement to wages rather than a fallback only for joblessness.
• Some households do experience periods of no employment, at which time SNAP serves as a safety net; but over a year, the majority of work-capable households do gain some earnings.

Breakdown by Household Type and Income Status

The working picture differs by household composition and circumstances:

• Households with children: These tend to show a higher rate of having earned income compared to childless households. For example, around 55 percent of households with children reported earnings in a given month.
• Married-couple families on SNAP: In one analysis, 84 percent of married-couple families receiving SNAP in one year had at least one worker, and 49 percent had two or more workers.
• Childless adults without disabilities: This group often has the lowest employment rates among SNAP recipients, especially when stricter work-reporting requirements apply.
• Jobs, industry and wage: Many working SNAP-participants hold jobs in service, retail, hospitality, maintenance or other low-wage fields—often with volatile hours or limited benefits.

Putting the Numbers Into Context

So, when you ask “what percentage of SNAP recipients work,” what is the best way to interpret it?

• If you measure “employment in a given month among recipients,” the figure is closer to 50-60 percent for working-age, non-disabled adults.
• If you measure “had earnings during a year” for work-capable households, the figure is closer to 80-90 percent.
• If you measure “any household member worked” rather than the recipient, the number shifts upward further.
• If you include all recipients regardless of ability to work (e.g., seniors, disabled adults), the percentage working will appear lower.

What This Means for Policy and Public Perception

Understanding the working status of SNAP households helps in several ways:

• Challenging stereotypes: Broad statements like “most SNAP recipients aren’t working” are misleading. The evidence shows that many do work, but may need assistance because their work does not provide enough income.
• Designing work-requirements and supports: Recognizing that many recipients work part-time or unstable hours suggests that policy solutions should support employment stability, wage growth and scheduling predictability, not just penalize non-work.
• Framing SNAP’s role: SNAP clearly serves both working families and those temporarily out of work. It is a bridge for low-income households, including ones with employment, that still struggle with food security.
• Targeting complementary programs: Because many working-SNAP households face low wages or unpredictable schedules, combining SNAP with job training, wage subsidy, scheduling protections or child-care support may have more impact than enforcing rigid work mandates alone.

Trends and Things to Watch

Looking ahead, the question of what percentage of SNAP recipients work will continue to evolve, and several key trends are worth monitoring:

• Labor-market shifts: As job automation, gig economy growth and scheduling changes affect low-wage sectors, some SNAP participants’ employment patterns may shift.
• Program eligibility changes: Changes in rules around work-capable adults, hours requirements, or exemptions could affect the mix of who participates and thus the employment percentages.
• Wage and benefit improvements: If low-wage jobs become more stable or higher-paid, fewer working households may need SNAP and the working share of participants may change.
• Household composition shifts: Aging population or increasing disability rates could change the make-up of SNAP participants and thus affect the working share.
• Data refinement: More recent, detailed data may provide better breakdowns by state, industry, age, household type and job quality—improving the precision of “what percentage” estimates.

Key Takeaway

When you consider what percentage of SNAP recipients work, here is the clear takeaway: Among households participating in SNAP that include a work-capable adult, the majority earn income during the year—roughly eight to nine out of ten. However, if you look only at employment in a specific month or only the individual recipient rather than the household, the percentage is lower—closer to half. The difference arises because employment among low-income households is often unstable, part‐time or transitional—yet the role of SNAP remains vital in bridging gaps in income and food access.

So if someone asks you “What percentage of SNAP recipients work?”, you can answer: A high majority of SNAP households with the potential to work do gain employment during a year—but at any given moment many will be out of work, making the snapshot rate much lower.

Thank you for reading. I invite you to share your thoughts or experiences in the comments—and stay tuned for how these numbers evolve over time.