A Wall Street Journal article debunked the myth that federal disability benefits are to blame for the shrinking labor force, “exaggerated” claims that have previously been pushed by the paper itself.

An April 29 Journal article headlined “Real Culprit Behind Smaller Workforce: Age” explained that the recent decrease in the labor force -- the number of employed and unemployed Americans who are currently seeking work -- “has more to do with retiring baby boomers than frustrated job seekers abandoning their searches.” The article noted that claims that Americans are voluntarily leaving the workforce to receive Disability Insurance instead of working, for example, “may be exaggerated,” and explained that retirees and students made up a far more significant portion of those leaving the labor force. The article included the following graph, showing disability was the least common reason for individuals leaving the workforce in March 2013:

However, the Journal has previously pushed the myth that Disability Insurance accounted for much of the dropping labor force participation rate. An April 10 article headlined “Workers Stuck in Disability Stunt Economic Recovery” claimed that workers receiving disability benefits were costing the economy billions by not instead participating in the labor force, and quoted economist Michael Feroli's claim that “worker flight to the Social Security Disability Insurance program accounts for as much as a quarter of the puzzling drop in participation rates, a labor exodus with far-reaching economic consequences.” These claims are in direct contradiction to the Journal's most recent reporting.

According to Center for Economic and Policy Research co-director Dean Baker, research shows if more individuals who receive disability benefits worked, it would have a relatively minor effect on employment figures. Harold Pollack, an expert on disability policy at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, dismissed the idea that disability benefits might be “luring away people who could work.” Despite these facts, media continue to attack federal disability benefits by pushing the false claim that disability programs harm the economy.