People With Disabilities Continue To Attain Employment At An All-Time High Level

People with disabilities maintained their job numbers, reflecting all-time highs in July, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment – semi-monthly update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). nTIDE experts stated that more people with disabilities are engaged working and seeking work.

Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing June 2023 to July 2023)

Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released Friday, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 39.7 percent in June 2023 to 40.4 percent in July 2023 (up 1.8 percent or 0.7 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate remained steady at 78.4 percent in June 2023 and 78.4 percent in July 2023 (0.0 percent or 0.0 percentage points). The labor force participation rate reflects the percentage of people who are in the labor force (working, on temporary layoff, on furlough, or actively looking for work in the last four weeks) relative to the total population (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).

“The labor force participation rate of people with disabilities continues its upward trend, above historic highs,” reported Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the UNH-IOD. “An increase in job openings and wages may be making work more feasible and worthwhile.”

Regarding employment, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased slightly from 37.0 percent in June 2023 to 37.3 percent in July 2023 (up 0.8 percent or 0.3 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio remained the same at 75.5 percent in June 2023 and 75.5 percent in July 2023 (at 0.0 percent or 0.0 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).

“With a nod to diversity and inclusion, employers may be looking at underserved populations, such as people with disabilities, to fill open positions,” stated Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP,senior vice president of Grants and Communications at Kessler Foundation.

Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing July 2022 to July 2023)

Compared to the same month last year, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (16-64) increased from 37.3 percent in July 2022 to 40.4 percent in July 2023 (up 8.3 percent or 3.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate increased slightly from 77.8 percent in July 2022 to 78.4 percent in July 2023 (up 0.8 percent or 0.6 percentage points).

The employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 34.4 percent in July 2022 to 37.3 percent in July 2023 (up 8.4 percent or 2.9 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio rose slightly, from 75.0 percent in July 2022 to 75.5 percent in July 2023 (up 0.7 percent or 0.5 percentage points).

In July, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,340,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.2 percent of the total 151,063,000 workers in the U.S.