Opinion ID: 160428
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Commissioner’s Step Five Finding

Text: Appellant next launches a number of attacks on the Commissioner’s finding at step five that he could perform a significant number of alternative jobs. His first challenge rests on his assertion that the ALJ erroneously concluded that he did not have a severe mental impairment. He contends that the ALJ should have -10- presented appellant’s mental impairments as part of the hypothetical question to the vocational expert. As noted above, however, appellant’s attacks on the ALJ’s conclusions concerning his bipolar disorder lack merit. Therefore, this derivative attack on the ALJ’s hypothetical question also fails. Appellant also attacks the ALJ’s RFC finding as unsupported by the vocational testimony. The VE testified that appellant’s past relevant work was unskilled, with the exception of his telemarketing experience. She stated that appellant could not do any unskilled jobs at the sedentary level because of his hand problems. She identified a number of unskilled jobs at the light level, however, that appellant could perform. Appellant contends that the VE later withdrew this testimony in response to further questioning by the ALJ, leaving no jobs that he could perform. Appellant’s argument misstates the record. The ALJ’s initial hypothetical assumed a moderate to severe limitation on ability to grip and finger with the (non-dominant) left hand, and a mild limitation on ability to grip and finger with the right hand. Appellant’s App., Vol. II at 84. Given these limitations, the VE testified that appellant could perform a number of unskilled, light jobs including food service worker, unskilled production labor, and unskilled office cleaning. Id. at 86. She also testified that appellant could perform the semi-skilled, sedentary job of sedentary order clerk. Id. at 85. -11- For his second hypothetical, the ALJ added mental restrictions based upon appellant’s bipolar disorder. Id. at 88. The VE testified that if appellant were limited in his ability to interact with the general public, he could not do the sedentary order clerk job. The ALJ then posed a third hypothetical, assuming the mental limitation but also a moderate, rather than mild, limitation on ability to finger and grip with the dominant right hand. Id. Under these circumstances, the VE stated that approximately fifty percent of the light jobs would be eliminated. Id. at 89. The ALJ then asked the VE whether there were any light or sedentary jobs that appellant could perform if he couldn’t do much handling of objects at all. At this point, the VE conceded, in language now cited by appellant, that there were most likely no jobs that appellant could perform. Id. at 90. When it came to his decision, however, the ALJ did not accept the limitations identified in his third and fourth hypotheticals. Rather, he concluded that appellant had only a moderate limitation in his ability to grip and finger with his left hand, and a mild limitation in his ability to grip and finger with his right hand. Id. at 22. These limitations were not inconsistent with the VE’s testimony that there were light, unskilled jobs that appellant could perform. The ALJ is not bound by the VE’s responses to hypothetical questions that include assumed restrictions not ultimately found by the ALJ to be supported by the record as a whole. See Gay v. Sullivan, 986 F.2d 1336, 1341 (10th Cir. -12- 1993). The fact that the VE testified (in response to hypothetical questions listing impairments that the ALJ ultimately rejected) that appellant could not perform any jobs is irrelevant to the outcome of this case. Appellant fails to show that the ALJ’s conclusions about his ability to use his hands were lacking in substantial evidence. Appellant also argues that the ALJ erred in concluding that he had transferable skills from his work as a telemarketer. Since the ALJ’s conclusion that appellant could perform unskilled, light jobs is supported by substantial evidence, and the ALJ listed a sufficient number of jobs in the national economy at that skill and exertional level, it is not strictly necessary to determine whether appellant could perform skilled work. We note, however, that appellant errs in arguing that he had only one month’s experience as a telemarketer. In fact, it appears from the record that he had the requisite three to six months’ experience as a telemarketer to have learned the job, which carries a specific vocational preparation (SVP) level of 4. Appellant’s App., Vol. II at 44, 83, 154; see generally United States Dep’t of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Vol. II, App. C (4th ed. Rev. 1991). Therefore, the ALJ did not err in determining that appellant had transferable skills from his telemarketing work. The judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma is AFFIRMED. -13- Entered for the Court Wade Brorby