National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) – Issued semi-monthly by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire
East Hanover, NJ – September 1, 2023 – Labor Day weekend brings more good news for people with disabilities, with record-breaking highs for labor force participation and employment-to-population ratio, 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). In comparison, both indicators declined slightly for people without disabilities.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing July 2023 to August 2023)
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 37.3 percent in July 2023 to 37.9 percent in August 2023 (up 1.6 percent or 0.6 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 75.5 percent in July 2023 to 75.2 percent in August 2023 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 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).
“The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities jumped to a new all-time high contrasting sharply with people without disabilities whose ratio dropped slightly,” said John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. “Employment opportunities remain plentiful and people with disabilities are rising to the occasion and filling these positions, which may be contributing to this trend,” he added.
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.4 percent in July 2023 to 41.2 percent in August 2023 (up 2 percent or 0.8 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.4 percent in July 2023 to 78.2 percent in August 2023 (down 0.3 percent or 0.2 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 continued rise in labor force participation reinforces long-held views that people with disabilities are striving to work,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the UNH-IOD, “which was a major finding from our 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey. To explore possible reasons behind these record-breaking trends, join our mid-month Deeper Dive webinars to get answers to your questions from the nTIDE team,” he recommended. (See link below.)
