image: This graphic compares the labor market indicators for June 2023 and July 2023, showing increases in the employment-to-population ratio for people with and without disabilities. The labor force participation rate increased slightly for people with disabilities and stayed even for people without disabilities. view more
Credit: Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, NJ – August 4, 2023 – 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 today, 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.
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
Each nTIDE release is followed by an nTIDE Lunch & Learn online webinar. This live broadcast, hosted via Zoom Webinar, offers attendees Q&A on the latest nTIDE findings, provides news and updates from the field, and features invited panelists who discuss current disability-related findings and events.
On August 4, 2023, at 12:00 pm Eastern, guest presenters Clare Papay, PhD, and Rebecca Lazo from Think College, Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, join Drs. O’Neill and Houtenville, and Denise Rozell from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE. Register now for our mid-month Deeper Dive into employment trends at nTIDE Deeper Dive – 8/18/2023.
NOTE: The statistics in the nTIDE are based on BLS numbers but are not identical. They are customized by UNH to combine the statistics for men and women of working age (16- 64). nTIDE is funded by Kessler Foundation and was initially funded by grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (90RT5037).
About The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) 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 NIDILRR-funded Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics, visit ResearchOnDisability.org.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research. Our scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for adults and children with neurological and developmental disabilities of the brain and spinal cord including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.
Press Contacts at Kessler Foundation:
Deborah Hauss, DHauss@kesslerfoundation.org
Carolann Murphy, CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org
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