Access to disability insurance benefits in March 2003

Workers in occupations averaging $15 an hour or more were in a much better position with respect to access to benefits than were those in occupations averaging under $15 in March 2003.

[Chart data—TXT]

The difference was particularly striking in rates of access to long-term disability insurance. Only 17 percent of those earning under $15 had access to such coverage, compared with half of those in the higher earnings category.

With regard to short-term disability insurance, 29 percent of those earning less than $15 per hour had access to this benefit, while 53 percent of those earning more than $15 per hour had access.

Among all workers, 30 percent had access to long-term disability insurance, and 39 percent had access to short-term disability insurance.

These data are from the BLS National Compensation Survey program. Learn more in "National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2003" (PDF), Summary 04-02.