Most people do not expect that they will suffer an injury or illness that will affect their ability to work. Of course there are some chronic or predictable conditions that people may struggle with on a regular basis, but a significant amount of workers may not believe that there will be a time when a mental or physical disability will make it impossible to work.
However, a new report suggests that there may actually be a way to predict which workers have a higher likelihood of becoming disabled. According to researchers, people who work in dangerous jobs are more likely to become develop a disabling condition that prevents them from working. They further suggest that these very same workers are less likely to have money saved up.
Their results were based on data collected by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. This data indicated that people who are truck drivers, machine operators and construction or agricultural workers are classified as being in high-risk employment and often suffer disabling conditions as a result of their occupation. Workers in these positions make up a disproportionate amount, about 46 percent, of the total population of people receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
And despite receiving a relatively substantial paycheck, workers in high-risk jobs are less likely to have savings that they can rely on in the event that they are unable to work, as compared to similarly educated workers in safer jobs. Researchers suggest that there may be a link between these workers’ ability to work in high-risk jobs and the lack of savings they may have; in both cases, there is a distinct threat to a person’s long-term safety and security.
But whatever industry or job in which someone works, suffering from a disabling condition can dramatically affect a person’s life. Not only are there health and medical concerns to consider, but people with certain illnesses or injuries may no longer be able to work. This can be particularly devastating for Atlanta residents who depend on having a steady income. And as indicated by this recent study, without the support of SSDI payments, many people may not have the financial means to support themselves and their families. It is for this reason that many people choose to work with an attorney to apply for the benefits they may desperately need.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Workers in Riskier Jobs Save Less Money,” Ben Leubsdorf, Feb. 24, 2014
