image: From July 2025 to August 2025, the employment-to-population ratio increased from 37.0 to 38.5 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 75.1 to 74.5 percent for people without disabilities. The labor force participation rate increased from 41.6 to 42.2 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 78.5 to 77.9 percent for people without disabilities.
Credit: Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, NJ – September 5, 2025 – The latest National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report shows that, in contrast to people without disabilities, the employment and labor force participation of people with disabilities of people with disabilities increased, narrowly reaching all-time highs, according to nTIDE experts. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing July 2025 to August 2025)
Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 37.0 percent in July 2025 to 38.5 percent in August 2025 (up 4.1 percent or 1.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 75.1 percent in July 2025 to 74.5 percent in August 2025 (down 0.8 percent or 0.6 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).
From July 2025 to August 2025, the employment-to-population ratio increased from 37 to 38.5 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 75.1 to 74.5 percent for people without disabilities. The labor force participation rate increased from 41.6 to 42.2 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 78.5 to 77.9 percent for people without disabilities.
“The employment-to-population ratio of 38.5 percent for people with disabilities in August is a new all-time high, narrowly reaching past the all-time high of 38.3 percent seen in November 2023, May 2024, and January 2025,” according to Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SP senior vice president of grants at Kessler Foundation. “We are seeing more people with disabilities in the workplace. This increase reflects dual trends of new entrants with disabilities finding jobs and people with disabilities previously discouraged from working returning to employment,” she added.
Similarly, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 41.6 percent in July 2025 to 42.2 percent in August 2025 (up 1.4 percent or 0.6 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.5 percent in July 2025 to 77.9 percent in August 2025 (down 0.8 percent or 0.6 percentage points). The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is working or actively looking for work (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).
“Similarly, the labor force participation rate of 42.2 percent for people with disabilities in August is also an all-time high, narrowly reaching past the all-time high of 40.0 percent set in January 2025,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and director of the UNH-IOD. “It is always nice to see all-time highs in the nTIDE labor market indicators. These all-time highs are reaching just past the top of the new plateau—leveling off—we have seen since mid-2023 after the rapid growth during the post-COVID economic recovery. Keep in mind that an increase in labor force participation is a bit of a double-edge sword. More people with disabilities may be seeking work to offset increasing prices and the loss of household income, as nearly one-third of people with disabilities are living below the poverty line.
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing August 2024 to August 2025)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 36.4 percent in August 2024 to 38.5 percent in August 2025 (up 5.8 percent or 2.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 74.8 percent in August 2024 to 74.5 percent in August 2025 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.0 percent in August 2024 to 42.2 percent in August 2025 (up 5.5 percent or 2.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.2 percent in August 2024 to 77.9 percent in August 2025 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points).
In August, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,653,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.4 percent of the total 151,779,000 workers in the U.S.
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
On the same day nTIDE is issued, the team hosts an nTIDE Lunch & Learn webinar. This live Zoom broadcast gives attendees a chance to ask questions about the latest findings, hear news and updates from the field, and learn from invited panelists who discuss current disability-related research and events.
On September 5, 2025, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET, guest presenters Emily Homer and Teresa Thomas, Melwood Community Services, join Dr. Houtenville, Elaine Katz, and Denise Rozell, director of policy innovation at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
About National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE)
nTIDE is a joint effort of Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. The nTIDE team tracks employment trends for people with and without disabilities, issuing monthly reports that reflect the impact of economic changes on the workforce. These reports use data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) but are customized by UNH-IOD to focus on working-age adults (ages 16–64).
nTIDE is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler Foundation.
About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. For information on the Institute’s NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC), visit researchondisability.org.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, founded in 1985, is a New Jersey-based nonprofit and global leader in rehabilitation research committed to changing the lives of people with disabilities. By conducting groundbreaking research, Kessler Foundation advances recovery and fosters independence to build a more inclusive and accessible world.
Our team of award-winning scientists develop and test novel interventions to transform care and optimize mobility, cognition, and quality of life for people with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, and other neurological and developmental disabilities. By analyzing community and workforce participation, developing evidence-based solutions, and funding impactful community initiatives that expand employment opportunities, Kessler Foundation also addresses barriers to inclusion for people with disabilities.
Powered by a dedicated team of over 200 professionals funded by federal and state grants and private philanthropy, Kessler Foundation is redefining what is possible in rehabilitation care and recovery. For more information, visit kesslerfoundation.org.
Press Contact at Kessler Foundation:
Carmen Cusido, ccusido@kesslerfoundation.org
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