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Summary
Twelve percent of Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries find employment post-entitlement. Many leave jobs due to health, with recovery rates decreasing after multiple job changes.
Area of Science:
- Social Gerontology
- Labor Economics
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- The Social Security Administration Disability Insurance (DI) program provides benefits to individuals with disabilities.
- Understanding the employment patterns of DI beneficiaries is crucial for program evaluation and policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the job patterns of disabled-worker beneficiaries enrolled in the DI program.
- To analyze labor-force participation, job retention, and reasons for job cessation among DI beneficiaries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the New Beneficiary Follow-up survey.
- Employed retrospective questioning on labor-force participation from entitlement to interview.
- Analyzed employment start dates, job durations, and subsequent employment trends.
Main Results:
- 12% of nonworking DI entrants secure employment during their benefit entitlement period.
- The average time to job entry was 3.4 years.
- 50% of beneficiaries who start a job leave it before their entitlement ends, primarily for health reasons.
- Employer influence on job cessation was minimal for most beneficiaries.
- For those with multiple jobs, the likelihood of recovery while employed decreased with each subsequent job.
Conclusions:
- A notable minority of DI beneficiaries engage in employment post-entitlement.
- Health-related issues are the primary driver for job cessation among these beneficiaries.
- The findings suggest a complex relationship between disability, employment, and recovery, warranting further investigation into support systems for working beneficiaries.