By Katherine Rodriguez | NJ.com
nj.com
(TNS)
The Social Security Administration is slimming down its workforce more than ever.
According to a new analysis, Social Security has cut 8,000 jobs, or 14% of its workforce, since January 2025, and half of the job cuts have been in customer-facing roles.
The 14% staffing cut affected workers nationwide and left the agency with the fewest employees since 1967.
The reduction in staffing has raised concerns over whether benefit recipients could lose access to services, especially as 44% of Social Security recipients rely on benefits alone for retirement income.
However, the Social Security Administration denies that its service has suffered as a result, adding that it recently underwent a “digital-first” transformation that sought to streamline processes at the agency.
Which roles at Social Security were most affected by the job cuts?
More than 3,800 staffers in field offices and those who monitor the agency’s national 800 number were most impacted by the job cuts, according to Investopedia.
Social Security moved some workers into different roles to fill the gaps, but a report from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities argued that placing staffers in unfamiliar roles would cause a larger case backlog.
How are the job cuts affecting Social Security, SSI recipients?
While the agency touts its “digital-first” approach as more efficient, critics argue that this streamlined efficiency is hurting those who most need the agency’s services.
“For many older Americans, maintaining access to local field offices and face-to-face assistance remains critically important,” Shannon Benton, executive director of The Senior Citizens League told Investopedia.
Benton added that many vulnerable populations have difficulty accessing digital and phone services due to limited digital skills, lack of Internet access or hearing loss.
Photo credit: Douglas Rissing/iStock
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