image: The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities decreased from 38.3 percent in January 2025 to 37.1 percent in February 2025, while this indicator remained the same, 74.4 percent, for people without disabilities. The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities decreased from 42 percent to 40.8 percent and increased slightly for people without disabilities, from 77.7 percent to 77.8 percent.
Credit: Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, NJ – March 7, 2025 – The employment rate for people with disabilities saw a slight dip in February but continued to fluctuate around a steady plateau of approximately 37.5%. While these dips can trigger speculation about broader policy implications, nTIDE experts cautioned that it is premature to attribute changes to recent shifts in federal employment policies. The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities remained stable. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing January 2025 to February 2025)
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 38.3 percent in January 2025 to 37.1 percent in February 2025 (down 3.1 percent or 1.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio remained the same in January 2025 and February 2025 at 74.4 percent. 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 decline in the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities aligns with the fluctuations we've observed over the past 18 months. hovering around a plateau of 37.5 percent,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and director of the UNH-IOD. “We often see reactions to month-to-month fluctuations as a sign of a major shift, but in reality, employment for people with disabilities appears to be stabilizing around a new average. This kind of mean reversion is expected, and we will need more data in the coming months to determine whether we are seeing a true trend,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 42 percent in January 2025 to 40.8 percent in February 2025 (down 2.9 percent or 1.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate increased slightly from 77.7 percent in January 2025 to 77.8 percent in February 2025 (up 0.1 percent or 0.1 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).
“The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities decreased last month, dropping from 42 percent in January to 40.8 percent in February,” remarked John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. “The decline in the employment of people with disabilities may reflect employer reluctance to make changes in hiring practices until they gain a clearer understanding of the economic policies and strategies of the new national leadership,” he added.
“In the coming months, we will be watching closely to see if reductions in the federal workforce affect the employment of people with disabilities,” Houtenville added. The Current Population Survey – the dataset nTIDE is based on – is conducted during the second full week of the month, meaning that any effects of federal policy changes in February would likely not be reflected in the latest data. “Future nTIDE reports will examine whether federal employment changes, including potential shifts within the Veterans Administration, have a measurable impact on employment rates among individuals with disabilities.”
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing February 2024 to February 2025)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 36.7 percent in February 2024 to 37.1 percent in February 2025 (up 1.1 percent or 0.4 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased slightly from 74.6 percent in February 2024 to 74.4 percent in February 2025 (down 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.1 percent in February 2024 to 40.8 percent in February 2025 (up 1.7 percent or 0.7 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate also increased from 77.7 percent in February 2024 to 77.8 percent in February 2025 (up 0.1 percent or 0.1 percentage points).
In February, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,251,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.1 percent of the total 151,403,000 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 March 7, 2027, at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern, guest presenter Kimberly Aguillard, principal researcher, Mathematica, joins Drs. O’Neill, Houtenville, and Denise Rozell, AUCD. Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
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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. 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
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 (Staters), 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:
Sara Jane Samuel, SSamuel@KesslerFoundation.org
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