Originally published 7/2006
The Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) administered by the Social Security Administration provides cash assistance to low-income individuals who are seniors, blind, or have a disability.
Many people who receive SSI benefits are unemployed. However, in 2004 the percentage of SSI recipients who were working varied considerably by state. To understand this variation, researchers correlated the percentage of employed SSI recipients with 2004 state unemployment rates. The following table and maps show the percentage of SSI recipients who were working in 2004 and state unemployment rates (UR), rounded to the nearest percentage point.
A significant inverse correlation was determined, r = -.48, p < .001, indicating that the higher percentages of SSI recipients who were working in 2004 correlate to lower state unemployment rates. This finding suggests that a state's economic situation impacts all workers, including those who receive SSI benefits.
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