Should we give out social security numbers on job applications?
Yes. Your employer has to deduct your federal and state income tax from your wages. Your SSN is how they verify that your taxes have been paid, and if you ever need to draw benefits (like at retirement) that the taxes paid for that SSN help determine the amount you will get in Social Security benefits. If you don’t give your employer the number, then you won’t be able to get a job. I suppose you could put a note on the application saying that you will provide your SSN if and when you are hired, but if I were hiring someone, I would wonder why they were so paranoid and wanted to make my life difficult before they even got the job. Then I would pass over the application and call in other applicants.
