Transferable Skills and the Definitions
of Skilled and Unskilled Work in a Social Security Disability
Claim
Definition of Skilled, Semi-skilled, and Unskilled
Work and its importance in Social Security Disability
claim. And how it is determined in SSDI and
SSI claims if Skills are transferable to other
jobs.
When Social Security determines if there are other
jobs you can do these definitions can also be important
to know.
Work can be classified as any one of the following
skill requirements.
Unskilled work is simple job
duties that are learned in a short period of time.
They require very little to no judgement. An example
would be loading trucks or removing pieces from a machine.
A person can usually learn these types of jobs in 30
days or less. One does not gain work skills from
doing this type of employment.
Semi-skilled Work is work
that requires some skills but not complex duties.
A person in this type of work may require attention
and some degree of alertness. Coordination and
dexterity may be required. An example of this
type of work would be one who tends to a machine, inspects,
or tests and guards against defect, damage or
injury. These jobs are less complex than skilled
but more complex than unskilled.
Skilled work is
work which requires a fairly high level of complexity.
Types of work that require using judgement to determine
the machine and manual operations in order to obtain the
right quantity and quality of item produced. This
type of work can include reading of blue prints, precise
measurements, determining what is needed, making computations,
dealing with people, abstract ideas, or dealing with
figures.
Now I will discuss the concept of transferable skills.
This means skills that can be used in other jobs. When
the semi-skilled or skilled work activities from
prior work can be used to meet the requirements of other
jobs this is called transferable work skills.
this depends largely on the similarity of occupationally
significant work activities among different jobs.
How does SSA determine transferable skills to other
work? Transferability is most probable and
meaningful among jobs in which: 1.
The same or lesser degree of skill is required.
2. The same or similar tools and machines are
used; and 3. The same or similar raw
materials, products, processes, or services are involved.
A complete similarity between jobs is not necessary
for transferability. Skills that are very specialized
for an isolated vocational setting and not readily usable
in other industries are not transferable.
If you are 55 years or older transferability of
skills is treated differently and there are some different
rules which are beyond the scope of this page.
See SSA
website for more on transferable skills for 55 and
over
