nTIDE August 2022 COVID Update: Unemployment stable at pre-pandemic levels for people with disabilities

National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) – issued semi-monthly by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire

East Hanover, NJ. September 26, 2022. August marked the fourth consecutive month of stable unemployment numbers for people with disabilities, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) COVID Update. August unemployment held steady at near pre-pandemic levels, showing little change in the numbers of people with and without disabilities on temporary layoff or looking for work.

These August COVID Update data are consistent with the employment and labor force participation statistics reported in this month’s September 2 nTIDE release, according to Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics at the University of Hampshire (UNH) and research director of the UNH Institute on Disability.

“For people with disabilities we are back to the same picture we saw in March 2020, just prior to the national lockdown precipitated by the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented Dr. Houtenville, referring to the latest nTIDE mountain graph. “While the current picture is a positive one, challenges are on the horizon as the Federal Reserve grapples with inflation numbers not seen since the early 1980s” he noted.

“With five interest rate hikes so far this year, and the likelihood of two more to come, we need to anticipate an impact on the labor market down the road,” he advised. “Successful reining in of inflation means slower growth – that may eventually prompt some employers to cut back on hiring, resulting in tightening of the labor market and rising unemployment. As Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell cautioned in a national press conference last week, we need to ‘Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst’.”

  

graph bar stats for employment for people with disabilities
Caption: These graphics compare the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic of people with and without disabilities, capturing pre-pandemic and current unemployment data from January 2020 to August 2022. August numbers showed little movement in unemployment for people with disabilities and people without disabilities.

 

 

Monitoring the National Trends in Disability Employment will help us track the impact of these economic shifts on people with disabilities. Register now for our upcoming nTIDE webinar scheduled for October 21, 2022*: nTIDE Lunch & Learn Webinar Series | Center for Research on Disability

IMPORTANT! Note changes for October 7 & 21 nTIDEs:

On October 7, we will issue our usual nTIDE release, but there will be no Lunch & Learn Webinar.

*On October 21, New Survey Findings will be announced during the noon ET Lunch & Learn Webinar 

The 2022 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey: Supervisor Perspectives offers new insights into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the actions and attitudes of supervisors of employees with disabilities.

Following an introduction by Rodger DeRose, Kessler Foundation president and CEO, Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, of Kessler Foundation will moderate discussion of the 2022 Survey findings by Andrew Houtenville, PhD, and Debra Brucker, PhD, from UNH, John O’Neill, PhD, from Kessler Foundation, and Wendi Safstrom, president of SHRM Foundation.


About nTIDE Updates
National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) is a joint project of Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability. The nTIDE team closely monitors the job numbers, issuing monthly reports that track the impact of economic shifts on employment for people with and without disabilities. 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 the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler Foundation. 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, updates from the field, and features invited panelists who discuss current disability-related findings and event.

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.

For more information, contact:
Michele Pignatello, Michele Pignatello

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