National Beneficiary Survey: Disability Statistics, 2019
Employment Interest
| Expectation | All beneficiaries | Program | Beneficiaries employed at interview | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DI only | Concurrent DI and SSI | SSI only | |||
| Goals include work or career advancement | |||||
| Yes | 55.6 | 51.3 | 63.3 | 60.9 | 80.1 |
| No | 39.7 | 43.8 | 34.4 | 33.8 | 17.0 |
| Unknown | 4.7 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 2.9 |
| Sees self working for pay— | |||||
| In the next 2 years | |||||
| Agree or strongly agree | 25.7 | 22.7 | 32.6 | 28.5 | 83.2 |
| Disagree or strongly disagree | 72.4 | 75.5 | 66.5 | 68.8 | 15.1 |
| Unknown | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 1.8 |
| In the next 5 years | |||||
| Agree or strongly agree | 29.2 | 26.2 | 37.9 | 31.2 | 75.5 |
| Disagree or strongly disagree | 68.5 | 71.4 | 60.4 | 66.3 | 21.9 |
| Unknown | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Sees self working and earning enough to stop receiving disability benefits— | |||||
| In the next 2 years | |||||
| Agree or strongly agree | 12.9 | 9.5 | 18.8 | 17.1 | 30.2 |
| Disagree or strongly disagree | 11.6 | 11.6 | 13.5 | 10.8 | 51.8 |
| Unknown | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Not applicable—does not see self working in next 2 years | 74.3 | 77.3 | 67.4 | 71.6 | 16.8 |
| In the next 5 years | |||||
| Agree or strongly agree | 18.2 | 16.4 | 23.2 | 19.5 | 35.1 |
| Disagree or strongly disagree | 10.4 | 9.4 | 13.5 | 11.0 | 37.1 |
| Unknown | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 3.3 |
| Not applicable—does not see self working in next 5 years | 70.8 | 73.8 | 62.1 | 68.8 | 24.5 |
| Number (unweighted) | 9,092 | 4,281 | 1,813 | 2,998 | 4,597 |
| Number (weighted) | 12,666,165 | 7,387,330 | 1,771,690 | 3,507,145 | 1,212,138 |
| Reason | Overall | Program | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DI only | Concurrent DI and SSI | SSI only | ||
| Physical or mental condition prevents work | 90.1 | 93.6 | 81.1 | 87.2 |
| Discouraged by previous work attempts | 25.7 | 26.3 | 22.5 | 26.0 |
| Others do not think he or she can work | 24.1 | 23.6 | 22.5 | 26.0 |
| Workplace not accessible to people with his or her disability | 26.6 | 24.8 | 26.2 | 30.6 |
| Cannot find a job he or she is qualified for | 25.2 | 23.2 | 25.2 | 29.3 |
| Lacks reliable transportation to or from work | 18.7 | 14.9 | 23.6 | 24.3 |
| Does not want to lose cash or health insurance benefits | 13.9 | 11.4 | 19.5 | 16.3 |
| Employer will not give him or her a chance | 16.0 | 12.8 | 14.4 | 23.3 |
| Cannot find a job he or she wants | 8.7 | 7.0 | 13.0 | 10.2 |
| Is caring for someone else | 5.6 | 4.7 | 10.2 | 5.2 |
| Waiting to finish school or training program | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 4.1 |
| Other | 6.0 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 6.9 |
| Number (unweighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 9,092 | 4,281 | 1,813 | 2,998 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries | 4,495 | 2,044 | 865 | 1,586 |
| Number (weighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 12,666,165 | 7,387,330 | 1,771,690 | 3,507,145 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries | 11,454,028 | 6,675,386 | 1,541,832 | 3,236,810 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries as a percentage of all beneficiaries (weighted) | 90.4 | 90.4 | 87.0 | 92.3 |
| NOTE: Multiple responses possible. | ||||
| Reservation wage | Overall | Program | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DI only | Concurrent DI and SSI | SSI only | ||
| Hourly | ||||
| Less than $6.00 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| $6.00 to $7.24 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 1.3 |
| $7.25a to $8.99 | 6.2 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 10.7 |
| $9.00 to $13.99 | 25.3 | 21.3 | 32.9 | 31.0 |
| $14.00 to $15.99 | 12.4 | 15.0 | 9.3 | 7.6 |
| $16.00 to $22.99 | 12.9 | 13.4 | 16.0 | 10.1 |
| $23.00 to $29.99 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| $30.00 and above | 3.8 | 4.7 | 0.1 | 3.5 |
| Unknown | 33.8 | 34.3 | 30.9 | 34.1 |
| Median ($) | 13.50 | 15.00 | 11.00 | 11.50 |
| Average ($) | 16.36 | 16.77 | 18.53 | 14.15 |
| Number (unweighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 9,092 | 4,281 | 1,813 | 2,998 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working | 2,809 | 1,424 | 541 | 844 |
| Number (weighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 12,666,165 | 7,387,330 | 1,771,690 | 3,507,145 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working | 7,267,211 | 4,461,347 | 965,192 | 1,840,672 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working as a percentage of all beneficiaries (weighted) | 57.4 | 60.4 | 54.5 | 52.5 |
| NOTES: The reservation wage is the lowest hourly wage for which the respondent would be willing to work.
Excludes proxy respondents.
|
||||
| a. The federal minimum hourly wage in 2018 was $7.25. | ||||
| Reason | Overall | Under 30 | 30–49 | 50 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical or mental condition prevents work | 90.1 | 73.0 | 87.7 | 93.0 |
| Discouraged by previous work attempts | 25.7 | 20.7 | 30.5 | 24.6 |
| Others do not think he or she can work | 24.1 | 19.1 | 22.1 | 25.4 |
| Workplace not accessible to people with his or her disability | 26.6 | 29.1 | 29.3 | 25.4 |
| Cannot find a job he or she is qualified for | 25.2 | 34.7 | 26.3 | 23.7 |
| Lacks reliable transportation to or from work | 18.7 | 22.1 | 17.9 | 18.6 |
| Does not want to lose cash or health insurance benefits | 13.9 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 13.0 |
| Employer will not give him or her a chance | 16.0 | 17.1 | 15.2 | 16.1 |
| Cannot find a job he or she wants | 8.7 | 13.9 | 9.5 | 7.8 |
| Is caring for someone else | 5.6 | 8.4 | 10.3 | 3.6 |
| Waiting to finish school or training program | 2.3 | 12.3 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| Other | 6.0 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
| Number (unweighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 9,092 | 1,885 | 4,292 | 2,915 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries | 4,495 | 953 | 2,267 | 1,275 |
| Number (weighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 12,666,165 | 1,129,444 | 3,183,724 | 8,352,997 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries | 11,454,028 | 923,411 | 2,727,695 | 7,802,921 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries as a percentage of all beneficiaries (weighted) | 90.4 | 81.8 | 85.7 | 93.4 |
| NOTE: Multiple responses possible. | ||||
| Reservation wage | Overall | Under 30 | 30–49 | 50 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | ||||
| Less than $6.00 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | (X) |
| $6.00 to $7.24 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| $7.25a to $8.99 | 6.2 | 11.4 | 8.3 | 5.2 |
| $9.00 to $13.99 | 25.3 | 40.3 | 29.6 | 22.9 |
| $14.00 to $15.99 | 12.4 | 4.7 | 10.6 | 13.5 |
| $16.00 to $22.99 | 12.9 | 4.0 | 9.6 | 14.5 |
| $23.00 to $29.99 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 4.1 |
| $30.00 and above | 3.8 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 4.4 |
| Unknown | 33.8 | 31.5 | 33.4 | 34.1 |
| Median ($) | 13.50 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 15.00 |
| Average ($) | 16.36 | 13.42 | 17.94 | 16.06 |
| Number (unweighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 9,092 | 1,885 | 4,292 | 2,915 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working | 2,809 | 426 | 1,451 | 932 |
| Number (weighted) | ||||
| All beneficiaries | 12,666,165 | 1,129,444 | 3,183,724 | 8,352,997 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working | 7,267,211 | 354,572 | 1,656,661 | 5,255,978 |
| Nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working as a percentage of all beneficiaries (weighted) | 57.4 | 31.4 | 52.0 | 62.9 |
| NOTES: The reservation wage is the lowest hourly wage for which the respondent would be willing to work. | ||||
| Excludes proxy respondents. | ||||
| (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals. | ||||
| a. The federal minimum hourly wage in 2018 was $7.25. | ||||