Assume a person of the same age, education, and work experience of the claimant and assume that the person is limited to sedentary work, sitting six hours in an eight-hour day, frequent handling, frequent fingering, and limited to simple work with no more than occasional interactions with coworkers, supervisors, and the public. Any work?
That person could work as an addresser representing 30,000 jobs in the national economy.
Is that occupation performed as described in the DOT.
Sometimes workers use typewriters and hand-address labels and envelopes. Sometimes the worker will simply apply labels to envelopes, packages, and cards.
We have heard the mantra. It is nonsense. It is also the recommended explanation that SSA gives to VW in their training. Let's also beat them at their own game.
SkillTRAN estimates that addresser works in eight industries and is also self-employed for a total of 1,952 jobs. Self-employed work is not unskilled work -- it is running a business. Most of the jobs exist in local government, 1,253 jobs. SkillTRAN does not support the existence of 30,000 addresser jobs.
The OEWS estimates 36,030 jobs for word processors and typists (SOC 43-9022). The EP, OOH, and O*NET reporting the same data set estimate 40,000 jobs. It is curious that a word processor is applying labels. There might be people applying pre-printed labels but they are not word processors and typists, they are general office clerks or mail clerks. The crosswalk places addresser in word processors and typists. The OEWS and OOH defines word processors and typists:
Use word processor, computer, or typewriter to type letters, reports, forms, or other material from rough draft, corrected copy, or voice recording. May perform other clerical duties as assigned. Excludes “Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners” (27-3092), “Medical Transcriptionists” (31-9094), “Secretaries and Administrative Assistants” (43-6010), and “Data Entry Keyers” (43-9021).
The O*NET omits the "excludes" portion of the description but is otherwise identical. None of the descriptions leave room for application of labels.
The crosswalk tells us that word processors and typists contains eight DOT codes, one of them is unskilled, all are sedentary. We should doubt that all word processors and typists are unskilled addressers.
The 2023 ORS confirms that word processors and typists represent sedentary work in greater than 99.5% of jobs. Call it 100% and move on. The ORS estimates that 26.3% of jobs have up to one month of training. Semi-skilled and skilled work represent 70.6% of jobs. The "less than" estimate of 10% of jobs with a short demonstration (up to four hours) contains all the standard error. If the five state estimates are accurate, the residual is 3.1% of jobs. Let's round up and call it 30% of jobs are unskilled. That means that 10,800 jobs are sedentary and unskilled. Call that progress.
The ORS describes greater than 50% of jobs have a choice of sitting or standing, less than 50% do not have a choice. Word processors and typists sit 75% of the day at the 10th percentile and more than 75% of the day at all other reported percentiles. Because the "choice" of sitting or standing is "when" and not "how much," the conclusion would leave a person limited to six hours of sitting in a day to 1,080 jobs.
The O*NET confirms the obvious -- clerical employees work together with other employees. Word processors and typists have constant contact with other in 69% of jobs and most of the time in 31% of jobs. Any limitation on contact or interaction with others eliminates all jobs. The ORS describes all jobs as requiring at least basic people skills. The ORS states that word processors and typists have verbal interactions less than hourly in 23.8% of jobs. The ORS might lead to 2,400 jobs.
Finally, my favorite source of job numbers. The OEQ assumes 258,841 word processor and typist jobs with one-eighth of them sedentary and unskilled, to wit 32,385 jobs. The SOEUQ suggests 22,695 jobs. Both sources claim reliance on the OES which is the OEWS. We started with the OEWS -- 36,030 jobs total.
The existence of 30,000 addresser jobs is not sustainable. The only source consistent with that estimate is the OEQ. The SOEUQ contradicts that estimate and comes from the same publisher. Both sources state reliance on the OES, which does not exist. The OEWS and the EP/OOH/O*NET are wholly inconsistent with the OEQ/SOEUQ. And we end where we started, word processors and typists do not affix labels to envelopes, packages, and cards. That is not their job.
The Emergency Message tells the adjudicator to get a further explanation for addresser. When the adjudicators suggest and explanation without looking at the occupational description, we end with a conspiracy to commit idiocy. SSA should go back to the promise made almost 50 years ago -- take administrative notice of jobs, requirements, and job numbers.
Disgusted.
___________________________
Suggested Citation:
Lawrence Rohlfing, Addresser -- A Persistent Favorite of Vocational Witnesses, California Social Security Attorney (September 12, 2025) https://californiasocialsecurityattorney.blogspot.com
The author has been AV-rated since 2000 and listed in Super Lawyers since 2008.
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