Disabled Worker Claims Growing Faster Than New Job Creation

It's a staggering figure. More than 8.8 million American workers are collecting Social Security disability payments, contributing to a $47.8 billion deficit the system ran last year. Nearly 90,000 workers signed up for disability payments during the month of December alone. Currently, there are only 1.67 workers paying into Social Security for every worker now drawing benefits from the federal program. The 2009 fiscal year is the last time the system ran a net surplus for the year. The federal government is now borrowing money to pay the current benefits. The rank of the disabled is growing at a rate four times faster than the rate the economy has created new jobs under President Barack Obama.