The Impact of Economic Conditions on Participation in Disability Programs: Evidence from the Coal Boom and Bust
利用1970年代煤炭繁荣和1980年代煤炭萧条作为自然实验，发现劳动力市场价值上升会降低残疾项目参与率，且永久性冲击的影响远大于暂时性冲击。
We examine the impact of the coal boom of the 1970's and the coal bust of the 1980's on disability program participation. These shocks provide clear evidence that as the value of labor-market participation increases, disability program participation falls. For the Disability Insurance program, the elasticity of payments with respect to local earnings is between –0.3 and –0.4 and for Supplemental Security Income the elasticity is between –0.4 and –0.7. Consistent with a model where qualifying for disability programs is costly, the relationship between economic conditions and program participation is much stronger for permanent than for transitory economic shocks.