14 August 1935
Legislation / social insuranceSupplement
Social Security’s initial coverage excludes farm and domestic work
United States
The Social Security Act created federal old-age insurance but initially left agricultural and domestic employment outside that program. Because many Black workers held those jobs, occupational exclusions limited their access to retirement protection.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
This was not an explicit racial bar to every Social Security program. Scholars dispute the motives behind the original insurance exclusions; Larry DeWitt’s SSA-hosted study emphasizes administrative feasibility. Distinguish unequal effects from a conclusively established single motive.