#446 The Invisible 14 Million

We're an economics show. We cover the economy. But it's come to our attention that, until now, we've missed one of the biggest stories in our economy: The startling rise in the number of people on federal disability programs.It's the story of 14 million people who don't show up in most of the numbers we look at to understand the economy. These 14 million Americans don't have jobs, but they don't show up in any of the unemployment measures that we use. They receive federal assistance, but are often overlooked in discussions of the social safety net.On today's show: What disability in America says about the state of the American workforce, and about what it means to be poor in America nearly 20 years after we ended welfare as we knew it.For much, much more on disability, see our giant online story and listen to This American Life this weekend (we're doing the whole hour on disability). And we'll have more disability stories next week on All Things Considered.Music: Alison Moyet's "Invisible" Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr. Download the Planet Money iPhone App.