Social Security’s Financial Outlook: The 2012 Update in Perspective

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The brief’s key findings are:

• Social Security’s 75-year deficit is significantly higher than last year’s projection: 2.67 percent of payroll versus 2.22 percent of payroll.

• This increase reflects the slow recovery from the recession and rising disability rolls, among other factors.

• The bottom line remains the same: Social Security faces a real, but manageable, shortfall and stabilizing the system’s finances should be a high priority.