Social Security Workforce Continues To Decline

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has updated federal employment numbers revealing the Social Security Administration (SSA) lost another 586 employees in the fourth quarter of 2013. As of January 1, 2014, the agency's staffing level fell to 61,957, down 11.8 percent from Jan. 1, 2011, when the Agency had 70,270 employees. The number of administrative law judges (ALJ) rose by four, but remains down 4.9 percent from its peak 12 months earlier on Jan. 1, 2013.

These staffing losses come despite historically high numbers of applications and beneficiaries. Reduced staffing levels continue to negatively impact customer service and processing times throughout the application and appeals process.

There is some hope on the horizon, however, as the agency does appear to have some hiring authority in 2014.