SSA Staffing Declines Further, More Reductions Expected

New figures released today show the Social Security Administration (SSA) lost another 1 percent (591 employees) of its workforce in the quarter ending June 30, 2017, and now stands at 61,592 employees. That number is expected to further decline before the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2017, as SSA recently offered early retirement to approximately 15,000 employees who met certain eligibility requirements.

The number of administrative law judges (ALJs), who decide claims at the hearing level, remained flat over the same period from 1,655 to 1,661. ALJs were not included in the early retirement offer.