America’s hidden unemployment problem
2nd June 2011
The Great Recession has created a growing underclass of millions of unemployed who are unlikely to ever re-enter the labor force. Instead, they’re relying on government support that they qualify for because of health issues.
The real culprit: Workers with modest health problems are usually willing to take jobs when they can get them. But when they can’t, they turn to the government. That’s why the number of people who apply for — and get approved for — disability payments typically increases during bad economic times.
“There are people who, despite disability, are out there working when times are good,” said Mark Lassiter, spokesman for the Social Security Administration, which runs the disability programs.
Though the benefits are relatively modest — only about $1,000 a month — getting approved for disability can be a difficult process of appeals and hearings that typically lasts a year or more. Few who have qualified want to risk those benefits for a job that might not last.