09-24-2009, 04:32 PM
FHM wrote:
So how many unique numbers are there in any region... 999,999? How many times must a number be reused when 5,000,000 people live in that region? The combination of a name and SSN makes a unique identifier but not the SSN alone.
They do not do it that way. The SSA assigns additional area numbers (the first 3 digits of the SS#) to states whose numbers of applications require it. So for example, Texas initially was assigned numbers in the block beginning with 449-467. The additional area number blocks beginning with 627-645 have since been added to the group assigned to Texas.
Beyond that, they do not reuse numbers intentionally. They currently have a pool of around 400 million unused numbers, and region/area numbers above 770-something have not even been assigned for use. There are other area numbers in the range below 770 that have also not been assigned for use yet either.