image: The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities increased from 36.4 percent in August 2024 to 37.5 percent in September 2024. For people without disabilities, the ratio remained almost even, increasing 74.8 percent from August 2024 to 75.0 percent in September 2024.
Credit: Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, NJ – October 4, 2024 –The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities rose for the first time in three months highlighting a sign of a positive trend, albeit part of an overall leveling off near historic highs, 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). This growth is part of a broader stabilization of employment at near-historic highs, reflecting ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and flexibility in the workplace.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing August 2024 to September 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) increased from 36.4 percent in August 2024 to 37.5 percent in September 2024 (up 3 percent or 1.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio increased slightly from 74.8 percent in August 2024 to 75.0 percent in September 2024 (up 0.3 percent or 0.2 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 increased for the first time in three months,” remarked John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. “While this increase is encouraging, it reflects a leveling off in employment trends for people with disabilities around the historic highs. These historic highs were achieved in part due to workplace innovations during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods, including remote work, flexible hours, and improved accommodation practices,” he added.
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.0 percent in August 2024 to 40.8 percent in September 2024 (up 2 percent or 0.8 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.2 percent in August 2024 to 77.9 percent in September 2024 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 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).
“September was a solid month for employment among people with disabilities, with more individuals securing jobs. This is reflected by the employment-to-population rate increasing more than the labor force participation rate,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the UNH-IOD. “However, the gains in September are part of a broader leveling off in employment trends for people with disabilities,” he added.
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing September 2023 to September 2024)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 37.2 percent in September 2023 to 37.5 percent in September 2024 (up 0.8 percent or 0.3 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 75.2 percent in September 2023 to 75 percent in September 2024 (down 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.3 percent in September 2023 to 40.8 percent in September 2024 (up 1.2 percent or 0.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate remained the same: 77.9 percent in September 2023 and September 2024.
In September, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,284,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.2 percent of the total 150,358,000 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 October 4, 2024, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern, guest presenters Debra Brucker, PhD, and Vidya Sundar, PhD, of the University of New Hampshire, join Drs. O’Neill and Houtenville. Attend our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
Mark your calendars for a special Deeper Dive presentation on October 11!
Be the first to hear the latest data from the 2024 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey: Hospitality Industry. It is the fifth in a groundbreaking series aimed at gaining detailed information on ways people with disabilities achieve inclusion in the workplace. Learn firsthand about the most frequently used employment practices, their effectiveness, and real-world insights from supervisors. Register for the October 11, 2024, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern Zoom event here: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
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 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 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
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, 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. KesslerFoundation.org.
For more information, contact:
Deb Hauss, DHauss@KesslerFoundation.org
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