Social Security and the "D" in OASDI: The History of a Federal Program Insuring Earners Against Disability

by John R. Kearney
Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 66 No. 3, 2005/2006

Table equivalent for Chart 1. Legislative increases in Social Security benefits, 1970–1974
Year	Percent
1970	15
1971	10
1972	20
1973	a
1974	11
SOURCE: 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1973 Amendments to the Social Security Act.
a. No data was provided for 1973.

Table equivalent for Chart 2. Rate of disabled-worker applications per 1,000 insured workers and the unemployment rate, 1970–2003
Year	Unemployment rate (percent)	Disabled-worker applications per 1,000 workers (number)
1970	4.9	11.7
1971	5.9	12.1
1972	5.6	12.2
1973	4.9	13.3
1974	5.6	16.0
1975	8.5	15.1
1976	7.7	14.2
1977	7.1	13.8
1978	6.1	12.6
1979	5.8	12.1
1980	7.1	12.6
1981	7.6	11.3
1982	9.7	9.8
1983	9.6	9.7
1984	7.5	9.7
1985	7.2	9.7
1986	7.0	10.0
1987	6.2	9.8
1988	5.5	8.8
1989	5.3	8.3
1990	5.6	8.9
1991	6.8	9.9
1992	7.5	10.9
1993	6.9	11.5
1994	6.1	11.4
1995	5.6	10.4
1996	5.4	9.8
1997	4.9	8.9
1998	4.5	8.7
1999	4.2	8.8
2000	4.0	9.6
2001	4.7	10.7
2002	5.8	11.8
2003	6.0	13.1
SOURCE: Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, 2005, Tables 2.A30, 4.C1, and 6.C7; Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rate, available at http://www.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm.