SNAP’s new work requirements are now on display across all states as of June 1. California, the country’s last holdout, began implementing the updated work requirements set forth in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) passed last July. The work requirements were rolled out in waves across the country.   Some politicians on the Left and several media outlets claim the work requirements are harmful. Zohran Mamdani is among those sounding the alarm, with a recent X post stating: “Food stamp work requirements don’t create jobs, they create hunger.” He goes on to advocate for public jobs programs and for a guaranteed living wage. In other words, more government dependence.   Rather than the government dependence promoted by some politicians, the work requirements encourage upward mobility. The requirements shift SNAP from being a one-way transfer program to a program designed to help people build the tools to be successful in the workforce, encouraging upward mobility and self-reliance.   Anyone who was eligible for SNAP before the new work requirements remains eligible today, but now some able-bodied adults must fulfill a work requirement to continue receiving benefits.  Prior to OBBA, only adults ages 18-54 without any children were subject to a work requirement. That work requirement is now extended to able-bodied adults ages 18-65 without a child under 14. The requirements say that these SNAP recipients must work, participate in job training, or volunteer for 20 hours per week.   Some pundits say the new work requirements will lead to drastic cuts in SNAP rolls because people won’t be able to fulfill the work requirement or may get lost in the administrative shuffle. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over the 2025 to 2034 period, the new work requirements will lower SNAP participation on average by 2.4 million per month relative to the January 2025 baseline projections over the same period.  Even with those projected declines in SNAP rolls, program participation would remain at historic highs.  SNAP grew dramatically in recent years. In 2025, an average of around 42 million received SNAP benefits. This is higher than average participation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is well above pre-pandemic levels of around 36 million. In fact, the share of the U.S. population on SNAP—more than 12% of the population—is close to what it was in 2010, during the Great Recession.   There are roughly 7.6 million job openings in America today, and there are other ways for people to fulfill a work requirement besides paid employment. States should work to ensure that people are connected with these opportunities.   Work is fundamental for a purpose-driven, fulfilling life. Not only does it positively affect long-term economic well-being, it also improves the social, emotional, and physical well-being of adults, children, and families. With these new requirements, the country’s languishing welfare system can begin to be transformed into one that promotes human flourishing.