Indicates the total number of quarters of FICA-covered work in year YYYY, where YYYY=1951-2011. In 2011, an individual received credit for one quarter of coverage for every $ he/she earned at a FICA-covered job in the year. In 1978, $250 was required in order to be credited one quarter of coverage. This number increases automatically each year and is tied to increases in average wages. A maximum of 4 quarters per year is possible. Quarters of coverage are used to calculate eligibility for OASDI benefits. For example, people who reached age 62 in 2011 were eligible to retire if they had at least 40 quarters of coverage. The number of quarters of coverage required to be fully insured has changed over time. See http://www.socialsecurity.gov/history/reports/crsleghist2.html for a summary of rules. Prior to 1978, a quarter of coverage was granted for every quarter of the calendar year in which the worker had at least $50 in earnings at a FICA-covered job. Hence the portion of this array from 1951-1977 provides more detail about whether a worker was employed throughout the year. However caution should be used when looking at these earlier years as far fewer jobs were FICA-covered and hence zero quarters of coverage does not mean the person as not employed but rather that the person was not employed by a job that required FICA taxes or made the person eligible for OASDI benefits.

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