The Social Security Administration (SSA) released Saturday updated workforce numbers through March 31, 2016, which show a significant decline in overall SSA staffing, down almost 2 percent for the quarter.
The figures show the SSA lost 1,254 employees compared to the previous quarter (ending December 31, 2015). The 64,264 staffing level still falls below five years ago, when the federal agency had just under 66,000 employees.
Despite a rapidly increasing number of claims pending a hearing level decision, the number of administrative law judges (ALJs), who decide claims at the hearing level, continues to hover around 1,500, now 1,537, up only eight from the previous quarter (ending December 31, 2015). The SSA Office of the Inspector General reported in September on the agency’s objective of reaching up to 1,900 ALJs by fiscal year 2018.
