Disability Insurance and the Great Recession

Nicole Maestas; Kathleen J. Mullen; Alexander Strand

doi:10.1257/aer.p20151089

American Economic Review Vol. 105 No. 5 2015

Disability Insurance and the Great Recession

Nicole Maestas¹; Kathleen J. Mullen¹; Alexander Strand²

¹ RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90407 (e-mail: ) · ² Social Security Administration, 500 E Street, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20254 (e-mail: )

Abstract

The US Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is designed to provide income support to workers who become unable to work because of a severe, long-lasting disability. In this study, we use administrative data to estimate the effect of labor market conditions, as measured by the unemployment rate, on the number of SSDI applications, the number and composition of initial allowances and denials, and the timing of applications relative to disability onset. We analyze the period of the Great Recession, and compare this period with business cycle effects over the past two decades, from 1992 through 2012.

DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151089
Volume: 105
Issue: 5
Pages: 177-182
Language: en
Sources: bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

Disability Insurance and the Great Recession

Abstract

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