September 6, 2024 - Employment and labor force participation trends for people with disabilities appear to be stabilizing after several years of growth that reduced the gaps between individuals with and without disabilities, 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).
Over the past three months, both groups have seen declines in employment and labor force participation, reflecting a broader workforce trend. This fluctuation is not unprecedented; similar patterns were observed pre-pandemic, particularly between 2016 and 2018, when employment gains for people with disabilities leveled off following a period of strong growth. The current decline may indicate a similar leveling off, nTIDE experts explained.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing July 2024 to August 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) decreased from 36.9 percent in July 2024 to 36.4 percent in August 2024 (down 1.4 percent or 0.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 75.2 percent in July 2024 to 74.8 percent in August 2024 (down 0.5 percent or 0.4 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 declined for the third consecutive month," remarked John O'Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. "This decline may be more than just random sample variation or may reflect the soft-landing that the Federal Reserve was hoping to achieve. Nevertheless, employment-to-population remains above historic highs," he added.
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 40.5 percent in July 2024 to 40.0 percent in August 2024 (down 1.2 percent or 0.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.7 percent in July 2024 to 78.2 percent in August 2024 (down 0.6 percent or 0.5 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).
"Trends in employment and labor force participation of people with disabilities appear to be leveling off after several years of increases that saw the narrowing of the gaps between people with and without disabilities," said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the UNH-IOD. "The trends over the last few years are very similar to the trends seen during the 2016-2018 period, which is the only other time that we saw a narrowing of the employment and labor force participation gaps between people with and without disabilities," he added.
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing August 2023 to August 2024)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 37.9 percent in August 2023 to 36.4 percent in August 2024 (down 4 percent or 1.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio also decreased from 75.2 percent in August 2023 to 74.8 percent in August 2024 (down 0.5 percent or 0.4 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 41.2 percent in August 2023 to 40.0 percent in August 2024 (down 2.9 percent or 1.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate remained the same at 78.2 percent in August 2023 and August 2024. In August, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,077,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.1 percent of the total 149,872,000 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, updates from the field, and features invited panelists who discuss current disability-related findings and events.
On September 6, 2024, at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern, guest presenter Kelly Israel, JD, Voting Accessibility Organizer at the National Coalition on Accessible Voting, join Drs. O'Neill and Houtenville and Denise Rozell, AUCD. Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE. Also, register now for our mid-month nTIDE Deeper Dive into employment trends at nTIDE Deeper Dive - 09/20/2024.
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 people of working age (16- 64). nTIDE is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler 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 semi-monthly reports that track the impact of economic shifts on employment for people with and without disabilities. As the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wane and inflation persistently rises, the nTIDE team has superseded its mid-month COVID Update to a "Deeper Dive" into the BLS data for people with 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 people 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
