East Hanover, NJ – January 10, 2025 – The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities has remained stable over the past 15 months amid historically high levels, with recent data suggesting a modest but encouraging upward trend, according to today's January 2025 National Trends in Disability Employment monthly update (nTIDE) issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing November 2024 to December 2024)
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) slightly increased from 38 percent in November 2024 to 38.1 percent in December 2024 (up 0.3 percent or 0.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio stayed the same at 74.9 percent in November 2024 and December 2024. 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 has remained relatively stable over the past 15 months, fluctuating between 36.4 percent and a high of 38.3 percent," remarked John O'Neill, PhD , director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. "Despite these fluctuations, the current levels remain historically high, and the overall trend resembles more of a sawtooth than a clear rise or fall." Dr. O'Neill added, "This plateau in the employment rate for people with disabilities could reflect hesitation among employers to alter hiring practices until the new national leadership is in place."
"Nevertheless, if you examine the data closely month by month, it is encouraging," explains Hyun Jun Kim, PhD, Project Director III at UNH-IOD. "Historically, we don't typically see significant ups and downs in December. What we're seeing now is a trajectory of gradual increase, and even though it's a small rise, it's still progress. I hope to see that continue next month."
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities slightly increased from 41.1 percent in November 2024 to 41.3 percent in December 2024 (up 0.5 percent or 0.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate slightly decreased from 77.9 percent in November 2024 to 77.7 percent in December 2024 (down 0.3 percent or 0.2 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).
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing December 2023 to December 2024)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities increased from 37.9 percent in December 2023 to 38.1 percent in December 2024 (up 0.5 percent or 0.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 74.6 percent in December 2023 to 74.9 percent in December 2024 (up 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities increased from 40.8 percent in December 2023 to 41.3 percent in December 2024 (up 1.2 percent or 0.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate slightly increased from 77.3 percent in December 2023 to 77.7 percent in December 2024 (up 0.5 percent or 0.4 percentage points).
In December, 6,658,000 workers with disabilities (ages 16-64) represented 4.4 percent of the total U.S. workforce of 150,074,000.
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
On January 10, 2025, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern, guest presenter Bill Field, project director of AgrAbility and a professor of agricultural & biology engineering at Purdue University, joined Drs. Kim, O'Neill, and Denise Rozell, Director of Policy Innovation, AUCD. Attend our next free Lunch & Learn on February 7, 2025, or visit the nTIDE archives at ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
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 events.
About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
