Work Disability Among Native-born and Foreign-born Americans: On Origins, Health, and Social Safety Nets

Abstract

Public debates about both immigration policy and social safety net programs are increasingly contentious. However, little research has explored differences in health within America’s diverse population of foreign-born workers, and the effect of these workers on public benefit programs is not well understood. We investigate differences in work disability by nativity and origins and describe the mix of health problems associated with receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Our analysis draws on two large national data sources—the American Community Survey and comprehensive administrative records from the Social Security Administration—to determine the prevalence and incidence of work disability between 2001 and 2010. In sharp contrast to prior research, we find that foreign-born adults are substantially less likely than native-born Americans to report work disability, to be insured for work disability benefits, and to apply for those benefits. Overall and across origins, the foreign- born also have a lower incidence of disability benefit award. Persons from Africa, Northern Europe, Canada, and parts of Asia, have the lowest work disability benefit prevalence rates among the foreign-born; persons from Southern Europe, Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Caribbean have the highest rates.

The Immigrant Health Differential in the Context of Racial and Ethnic Disparities: The Case of Diabetes

“…Race and Hispanic ethnicity are self-reported. While the literature suggests that there is considerable health variation within racial/ethnic groups by region of personal or family origins (Huang et al 2011, Mehta et al 2016, Engelman et al 2017), sample size limitations prevented the disaggregation of Hispanic or Asian respondents by specific country origins. Nativity is a binary variable based on respondents’ reported place of birth.…”

“…Furthermore, the foreign-born longevity advantage does not translate uniformly to advantages in health. In fact, the direction, magnitude, and significance of a nativity differential in health varies not only by immigrant origins, but also by duration in the United States as well as across specific health conditions (Huang et al 2011; Engelman et al, 2017).…”

Cohort Trends in Working Life Expectancies at Age 50 in the United States: A Register-Based Study Using Social Security Administration Data

“…This pattern is partly attributable to the restrictions on eligibility for Social Security benefits faced by immigrants ( Borjas, 2011 ). Other potential reasons why immigrants may retire later than their native-born counterparts are they tend to have lower incomes ( O’Neil & Tienda, 2015 ), and they are often in better health ( Engelman, Kestenbaum, Zuelsdorff, Mehta, & Lauderdale, 2017 ).…”

Mobility, Stagnation, or Attrition? Diverse Earning Trajectories in a Cohort of Foreign‐born Men

“…Today, prominent voices continue to contend that foreign‐born individuals harm economic prospects for native‐born workers and burden to the US public welfare system if they fail to achieve financial independence—an argument that stands in contradiction to most empirical research that shows immigrants have little impact on the employment and wage rates of native‐born workers (Longhi, Nijkamp, and Poot 2010; Card 2005), rely on public assistance no more than the native‐born (National Population Research Council 1997; Lee and Miller 1998; Watson 2014; Engelman et al. 2017), and underuse social services (Aroian, Wu, and Tran 2005; Whitley, Kirmayer, and Groleau 2006).…”