A recently released report finds that 10.3% of disabled people were unemployed in December 2015, compared to 11.2% for the same month 1 year ago.
The report, compiled by the Social Security representation company Allsup using nonseasonally adjusted data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, also finds that the number of people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) declined 4% in 2015.
As well, the quarterly unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 11% in fourth quarter 2015, and 58% higher than the 4.6% quarterly unemployment rate for people with no disabilities, according to a media release from Allsup.
In total, 2,412,267 SSDI applications were filed in 2015—a low not seen since 2008, per the release.
Only one in three workers has private long-term disability insurance, which means about 100 million US workers only have SSDI to rely upon in the event of a severe disability. In addition, one of every eight workers will experience a disability of 5 years or longer during their working career, according to data provided by the Council for Disability Awareness, the release explains.
“A work-disrupting disability may require 5 years or longer to make the adjustments and see some improvement in the person’s condition to go back to work,” says David Bueltemann, manager, Allsup Employment Services Inc. “Those years can include a time of financial and family adjustment, medical treatment, and rehabilitation in order to reach some level of stability.”
Individuals who use SSDI in this manner and return to work can benefit from the work incentives offered by Social Security through the Ticket to Work program, Bueltemann continues.
Per the release, Social Security’s Ticket to Work program includes free job-related employment support through organizations like Employment Networks.
For more information, visit Allsup.
[Source(s): Allsup, PRWeb]
