Drop in disability rolls adds to signs of U.S. labor market recovery

By Howard Schneider and Michael Flaherty WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans on disability has declined for six months in a row in a sharp turnaround after years of increases, more evidence of the labor market recovery the Federal Reserve wants to see before nudging interest rates higher. Social Security disability rolls have climbed since the 1980s as the U.S. population has grown older and soared during and after the global financial crisis. The surge also raised the prospect that the program could run out of money and triggered calls for tougher eligibility rules as part of a broader political stand-off over the scope and costs of Social Security. It returned to pre-crisis levels last year, hitting 811,000, according to Social Security figures.
Go to Source