What Is the Significance of a Social Security Number?

Enacted in 1935, the Social Security Act originally only paid benefits for retiring workers. It added benefits for survivors such as spouses and children in 1939, and disability benefits in 1956.

Description

A Social Security number is a unique 9-digit number for identifying individuals who are entering employment. It was originally used to keep track of every individual's income for tax purposes, but now also functions as an identification number for many other purposes, as well.

Area

The first three digits refer to the area the person lived when he first received the number. People on the east coast have the lowest numbers and those on the west coast have the highest.

Group

The middle 2 digits, which are called the group numbers, are issued first as odd numbers from 01 through 09, and then as even numbers 10 through 98 until they are all used up for a particular area number. Then the group digits progress in even numbers from 02 through 08 and then odd numbers from 11 through 99.

Serial

The last 4 digits, which are called the serial numbers, are assigned consecutively within each group from 0001 through 9999

Myth

The myth that group numbers are somehow related to race is untrue. The group number originated as a way to subdivide records within filing cabinets, in the era before computers.

References

• Social Security FAQ
• Numbering scheme
• Racial myth