Trustees Report on Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds

be concentrated at the older ages (54 percent of all widows under age 65 were aged 55-64 in 195’7) makes it relatively more difficult for them to obtain employment if they are out of a job. Characteristically, employment of women is relatively high in December because of Christmas work in retail stores. Although late in 1957 unemployment among men was climbing rapidly, it was not much higher among women than it had been a year earlier. Data are not available on the number of widows under age 65 receiving unemployment insurance benefits in that month, but probably it was roughly the same as in December 1956, when it was estimated at 35,000-45,000. old-age and survivors insurance trust fund. Disability insurance benefits, which became payable beginning with July 1957, and the administrative expenses of the disability insurance program, are paid from this fund. The 1956 amendments to the Social Security Act also extended the contributory coverage of the old-age and survivors insurance program to about 4,000,OOO additional persons, including members of the Armed Forces, additional farm owners and operators, certain self-employed professional persons, certain groups of Federal civilian employees, and additional State and local government employees. During fiscal year 1957, other Social Security Act amendments went into effect liberalizing the conditions under which persons may become eligible for benefits under the oldage and survivors insurance program; providing monthly benefits to the dependent, disabled, unmarried child aged 18 and over of a retired or deceased insured worker if the disability began before age 18; and also providing monthly benefits at age 62 instead of age 65 to eligible women workers, wives of retired work-