What to know about the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment
NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of millions of older Americans will see a modest increase in benefits this January when a new cost-of-living adjustment is added to Social Security payments.
The 3.2% raise is intended to help meet higher prices for food, fuel, and other goods and services. The average recipient will see an increase of about $54 per month, according to government estimates. That’s a smaller percentage than last year, because consumer prices have eased, and the COLA is tied to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.
Still, Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says increased Medicare premiums will “absorb a disproportionate share of the COLA for most people.” One premium is rising by an estimated 6%, or roughly $9.90 a month.
“Seniors and people with disabilities tend to spend a greater share of their incomes on health care, and medical prices are rising faster than overall inflation,” she said, adding that most people will still get higher benefit checks overall.
Here’s what to keep in mind:HOW DOES SOCIAL SECURITY WORK?
The Social Security program pays roughly $1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 71 million people each year, including low-income individuals with disabilities.
The short answer is that taxes fund Social Security. The government uses taxes from working people to pay benefits to people who have already retired, people who are disabled, the survivors of workers who have died, and dependents of beneficiaries.
While the money is used to pay people currently receiving benefits, any unused money goes to the Social Security trust fund. Some of the money in the trust, together with the Social Security contributions of people in the workforce, pay for future benefits.
To determine what amount of Social Security you’ll receive, the government calculates a percentage of your highest wages from your top 35 years of earning, factoring in when you choose to start receiving benefits.HOW IS THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT CALCULATED?
The COLA is calculated according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, but there are calls to use a different index — one that measures price changes based on the spending patterns of the elderly — like healthcare, food and medicine costs.
“Seniors tend to spend more on medical care in general, including some out of pocket expenses like prescription drug costs, that can be very significant,” said Mark Hamrick, Senior Economic Analyst at Bankrate. “Of course, food, shelter, and energy costs are all still elevated. Those are thing most people cannot go without.”IS THE TRUST RUNNING OUT OF MONEY?
Future problems with the fund have long been predicted, largely because of demographic shifts. As birthrates decline, fewer people become workers, which results in fewer payments of payroll taxes. Meanwhile, more Baby Boomers are retiring and collecting Social Security.
The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released in March said the program’s trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2033. If the trust fund is depleted, the government will be able to pay only 77% of scheduled benefits, the report said.
“If you think about the modest decrease this year, the reality is that people would be looking at a more than 20% cut, if the administration fails to address the shortfall,” Hamrick said. “The gospel is, ‘You can’t touch Social Security.’ The longer this problem is unresolved, the less optimal the solutions become.”
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The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
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Most employees from marginalized racial and ethnic groups have experienced racism in the workplace
As companies worldwide face opposition to their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, two-thirds (66%) of employees from marginalized racial and ethnic groups in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States have experienced racism at work during their career, according to a new global report from Catalyst. Half (52%) have experienced racism in their current job.
The report, How Racism Shows Up at Work—And the Antiracist Actions Your Organization Can Take, surveyed more than 5,000 women, men, transgender, and nonbinary employees and reveals the pervasive and insidious ways racism exists in the workplace. The most common expressions of racism are workplace harassment (48%)—such as racist jokes, slurs, and other derogatory comments—and employment and professional inequities (32%), where respondents experienced pay gaps, were passed over for promotion or were assigned more or less work than their colleagues based on race.
“Our findings show that racism in the workplace is deeply embedded, often flying under the radar in the form of offhand comments or other exclusionary behaviors,” said Lorraine Hariton, president and CEO of Catalyst. “It’s imperative that leaders at every level of an organization act to combat racism and build antiracist workplaces, address racist and discriminatory incidents, and create environments of physical and psychological safety that enable employees to report racist experiences.”
Participants also report experiencing racism in the form of racial stereotypes and degrading commentary about their bodies or cultures. Stereotypes include assumptions about a person’s intelligence, cleanliness, or language abilities, as well as blame for Covid-19. Women (51%) and men (50%) experienced racism in the workplace to the same degree. Trans and nonbinary employees experienced more racism than others (69%).
Who Perpetuates Racism in the Workplace?
Respondents most often named leaders (41%) as the instigators of racism, but co-workers (36%) and customers/clients (23%) also engage in racist acts. Women and men are equally likely to initiate acts of racism; however, trans and nonbinary people were never cited in the survey responses as the instigators of racist acts.
Four out of five acts of racism are initiated by white people, and one out of five are instigated by another non-white person.
Whiteness Is the Norm at Work
Studies show that whiteness is at the center of work contexts. It is used as a lens through which employees, organizational policies, and business strategies are judged, assessed, and valued. This can result in, for example, dress codes that don’t work for natural Black hair or performance assessment criteria that value white modes of leadership over others.
“When whiteness is the default at work, people from marginalized racial and ethnic groups are pressured to conform to white standards of leadership, presentation, and self-expression,” said Joy Ohm, Vice President, Knowledge Architect and Writer at Catalyst. “Our research shows that racism is a lever that leaders, colleagues, and customers pull to apply this pressure and maintain the status quo.”
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