SSA Staffing Cuts Fuel Union Push for Additional $3 Billion, 20,000 More Workers

As the Social Security Administration (SSA) focuses on a “digital-first” strategy to improve digital and automation services, critics say the agency’s workforce has been cut too thin to keep pace with workloads.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) called on Congress to add $3 billion in funding to the agency and boost the workforce by about 20,000 employees.

AFGE says the SSA workforce is at a 59-year staffing low while backlogs are growing.

Data from the Office of Personnel Management shows that SSA has a net loss of about 8,000 employees since President Trump took office. In addition, about 2,000 employees were pulled from processing claims to staff the national 800 number.

“We will not stand by while chronic understaffing is used to drive experienced workers out, privatize our public mission, or replace dedicated federal employees with AI,” said Jessica LaPointe, president of AFGE Council 220, which represents SSA employees in field offices and teleservices centers.

Digital-First Strategy

SSA says its proposed $15 billion fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget is focused on a “digital-first” strategy, including $1.9 billion for IT spending such as modernizing legacy systems and improving digital and automation services. 

“Our hiring efforts this year are aligned with the commissioner’s goal to transform service delivery across all channels by leveraging new technology, implementing process improvements and updating tools to better serve the public,” an SSA spokesperson said to Federal News Network.

And SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano told members of the House Ways & Means Committee in June that the agency is doing more with fewer employees and had its “best all-around performance ever” including drops in wait times for telephone calls and field office visits.

While AFGE says it recognizes the importance of using technology, it maintains the FY 27 budget request needs to include more investments in SSA’s workforce.

“We believe in a human-first strategy,” said Rich Couture, a spokesperson for AFGE’s general committee for SSA.