May an employer submit a new hire report without using an employee’s Social Security number?
No. The Social Security number (SSN) is a required data element in the new hire report. Including a SSN in a new hire report is important for a number of reasons. Before state new hire records are submitted to the National Directory of New Hires, the Social Security Administration (SSA) verifies the name and SSN combination provided to the State Directory of New Hires with the SSA master file of correct Social Security numbers. If the combination submitted does not correspond to the SSA file, the new hire report is not entered into the National Directory of New Hires. Correct SSN data is also important because new hire records are used for cross matching with outstanding child support cases and with unemployment insurance claims. These cross-matches are performed using the SSN as a key field. Therefore, it is critical that you use only a valid SSN. Do not use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or Resident Alien (“green card”) number in place of the SSN.
