Opinion ID: 616811
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hearing Testimony

Text: At her February 2008 hearing before the ALJ, Jelinek testified that she lived across the hall from her mother, who helped with shopping and cleaning her apartment. Jelinek recounted problems with insomnia and bipolar mania, and explained that she had missed a lot of school and ultimately dropped out of high school in her sophomore year because of depression and anxiety. She had gotten her GED and was then enrolled in four college classes, but added that she had dropped three of four classes the previous semester because of stress and the breakup with her boyfriend. Regarding her work history, Jelinek testified that she was working eight hours per week as a library assistant at her college and had previously worked part-time as a motel clerk for about three months. Vocational expert Leonard Fisher also testified at the hearing. The ALJ prompted the expert to opine whether jobs existed in the local economy for light, unskilled work. The expert testified that about 10,000 jobs existed in the local four-county region for a claimant with Jelinek's age, education, and background of part-time work. When the ALJ changed the hypothetical to sedentary, unskilled work, the expert opined that only 600 to 900 relevant jobs existed. The expert also opined, however, that an unskilled worker with Jelinek's profile who missed more than one day a month (other than vacation days, sick days, and holidays) would have difficulty in sustaining competitive employment.