National Beneficiary Survey: Disability Statistics, 2015

Employment Interest

Table 14. Employment expectations, by program and employment status (in percent)
Expectation All beneficiaries DI-only beneficiaries Concurrent program beneficiaries SSI-only beneficiaries All employed beneficiaries
Number (unweighted) 4,062 1,666 833 1,563 445
Number (weighted) 12,896,735 7,347,758 1,944,622 3,604,355 1,064,064
Percentage (weighted) 100.0 57.0 15.1 28.0 8.3
Goals include work or career advancement
Yes 37.2 34.0 41.8 41.3 62.7
No 59.3 62.4 53.6 55.9 33.1
Unknown 3.5 3.6 4.5 2.8 4.2
Sees self working for pay—
In the next 2 years a
Agree or strongly agree 25.3 23.1 30.1 27.4 83.1
Disagree or strongly disagree 72.2 74.7 68.6 69.1 13.6
Unknown 2.5 2.3 1.2 3.5 3.3
In the next 5 years
Agree or strongly agree 28.1 24.2 34.5 32.8 65.8
Disagree or strongly disagree 68.2 72.1 60.5 64.5 27.1
Unknown 3.6 3.7 5.0 2.7 7.0
Sees self working and earning enough to stop receiving disability benefits—
In the next 2 years b
Agree or strongly agree 11.2 9.2 12.5 14.4 22.2
Disagree or strongly disagree 13.3 13.2 15.7 12.1 57.0
Unknown 0.9 0.6 1.9 0.9 4.0
Not applicable--does not see self working in next 2 years 74.7 76.9 69.9 72.6 16.9
In the next 5 years
Agree or strongly agree 16.7 13.8 19.4 21.2 29.3
Disagree or strongly disagree 10.2 9.1 14.1 10.1 34.3
Unknown 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.4 2.2
Not applicable--does not see self working in next 5 years 71.9 75.8 65.5 67.2 34.2
a. Previous rounds of the NBS asked if the respondent saw himself or herself working for pay in the next year. The question was changed to the next 2 years in the 2015 NBS.
b. Previous rounds of the NBS asked if the respondent saw himself or herself working for pay and earning enough to stop receiving disability benefits in the next year. The question was changed to the next 2 years in the 2015 NBS.
Table 15. Nonworking beneficiaries' reasons for not working, by program (in percent)
Reason All beneficiaries DI-only beneficiaries Concurrent program beneficiaries SSI-only beneficiaries
Number (unweighted) 3,617 1,487 728 1,402
Number (weighted) 11,832,671 6,715,366 1,772,753 3,344,553
Percentage (weighted) 91.7 91.4 91.2 92.8
Physical or mental condition prevents work 90.0 91.8 87.6 87.6
Discouraged by previous work attempts 26.0 24.7 27.2 28.1
Others do not think he or she can work 23.2 23.3 25.7 21.6
Workplace not accessible to people with his or her disability 26.3 24.5 26.3 30.1
Cannot find a job he or she is qualified for 23.3 22.5 26.3 23.3
Lacks reliable transportation to or from work 17.0 13.3 17.2 24.5
Does not want to lose cash or health insurance benefits 12.5 10.8 14.9 14.6
Employer will not give him or her a chance 16.0 15.5 17.3 16.1
Cannot find a job he or she wants 10.0 9.7 9.1 10.9
Is caring for someone else 7.5 6.8 6.6 9.3
Waiting to finish school or training program 3.1 1.5 4.1 5.7
Other 5.3 6.6 2.4 4.2
NOTE: Multiple responses possible.
Table 16. Hourly reservation wage among nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working, by program (in percent)
Hourly reservation wage All beneficiaries DI-only beneficiaries Concurrent program beneficiaries SSI-only beneficiaries
Number (unweighted) 1,988 876 388 724
Number (weighted) 6,420,532 3,695,607 945,183 1,779,743
Percentage (weighted) 49.8 50.3 48.6 49.4
Less than $6.00 1.5 1.0 1.0 2.6
$6.00–$7.24 2.6 2.5 4.6 1.7
$7.25–$9.99 19.5 14.0 27.9 26.5
$10.00–$14.99 27.9 28.8 28.1 25.8
$15.00 or more 22.1 27.5 12.4 16.1
Unknown 26.5 26.2 26.1 27.3
Median ($) 10.50 12.00 10.00 10.00
Average ($) 14.20 15.94 11.77 11.87
NOTE: The hourly reservation wage is the lowest hourly wage for which the respondent would be willing to work. Only nonproxy respondents who were not working at interview and were either seeking work or indicated a nonhealth reason for not working were asked the hourly reservation wage question.
Table 17. Nonworking beneficiaries' reasons for not working, by age (in percent)
Reason All beneficiaries Under 30 30–49 50 or older
Number (unweighted) 3,617 873 1,936 808
Number (weighted) 11,832,671 1,005,187 3,057,417 7,770,067
Percentage (weighted) 91.7 82.9 90.5 93.6
Physical or mental condition prevents work 90.0 69.4 86.3 94.1
Discouraged by previous work attempts 26.0 20.6 30.5 25.0
Others do not think he or she can work 23.2 17.8 24.2 23.5
Workplace not accessible to people with his or her disability 26.3 26.0 29.6 25.1
Cannot find a job he or she is qualified for 23.3 31.8 26.4 21.0
Lacks reliable transportation to or from work 17.0 19.1 19.1 16.0
Does not want to lose cash or health insurance benefits 12.5 12.9 16.0 11.0
Employer will not give him or her a chance 16.0 18.7 17.9 14.9
Cannot find a job he or she wants 10.0 14.3 10.1 9.4
Is caring for someone else 7.5 10.2 11.5 5.5
Waiting to finish school or training program 3.1 13.0 3.7 1.6
Other 5.3 6.5 3.9 5.7
NOTE: Multiple responses possible.
Table 18. Hourly reservation wage among nonworking beneficiaries seeking employment or reporting nonhealth reasons for not working, by age (in percent)
Hourly reservation wage All beneficiaries Under 30 30–49 50 or older
Number (unweighted) 1,988 420 1,134 434
Number (weighted) 6,420,532 485,120 1,786,850 4,148,563
Percentage (weighted) 49.8 40.0 52.9 50.0
Less than $6.00 1.5 2.6 1.6 1.3
$6.00–$7.24 2.6 3.2 3.3 2.2
$7.25–$9.99 19.5 41.4 23.6 15.1
$10.00–$14.99 27.9 22.2 27.0 28.9
$15.00 or more 22.1 6.7 16.3 26.4
Unknown 26.5 24.0 28.2 26.1
Median ($) 10.50 9.00 10.00 12.00
Average ($) 14.20 10.76 12.57 15.30
NOTE: The hourly reservation wage is the lowest hourly wage for which the respondent would be willing to work. Only nonproxy respondents who were not working at interview and were either seeking work or indicated a nonhealth reason for not working were asked the hourly reservation wage question.