Despite recent declines in economic indicators, people with disabilities remained engaged in the labor force, according to the National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE) for December, issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).
Future trends will depend on a number of factors affecting public health and economic recovery, such as vaccine distribution and stimulus efforts.
nTIDE COVID Update (Month-to-Month Comparison)
According to the recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased slightly from 29.1% in November to 29.4% in December 2020 (up 1% or 0.3 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 71.1% in November to 70.9% in December 2020 (down 0.3% 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).
“In December, we saw a modest increase in the employment-to-population ratio even as COVID-19 infections surged following Thanksgiving gatherings. We may see improvement in the employment-to-population ratio in coming months as the stimulus bill kicks in and the vaccine becomes more widely available.”
— John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation
The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 33.6% in November to 33.2% in December 2020 (down 1.2% or 0.4 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 75.9% in November to 75.7% in December 2020 (down 0.3% or 0.2 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is working, not working and on temporary layoff, or not working and actively looking for work.
“For people with disabilities, the labor force participation rate showed a small decline compared to last month. Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen people with disabilities staying engaged in the workforce by either working, actively looking for work, or still expecting to be recalled. The decline in December may reflect the reinstatement of restrictions to stop the increasing spread of COVID-19.”
— economist Andrew Houtenville, PhD, research director of the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability
Traditional nTIDE Numbers (Comparison to the Same Time Last Year)
The employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 30.6% in December 2019 to 29.4% in December 2020 (down 3.9% or 1.2 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also decreased from 74.8% in December 2019 to 70.9% in December 2020 (down 5.2% or 3.9 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 33.3% in December 2019 to 33.2% in December 2020 (down 0.3% or 0.1 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 77.3% in December 2019 to 75.7% in December 2020 (down 2.1% or 1.6 percentage points).
In December 2020, among workers ages 16-64, the 4,383,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.1% of the total 139,636,000 workers in the US.
nTIDE COVID Update – Friday, January 22 at 12:00 pm Eastern
The mid-month update will further discuss the employment of people with disabilities as the impact of COVID-19 is followed and the numbers are looked at in more detail.
[Source(s): Kessler Foundation, PRWeb]
Related Content:
November 2020 nTIDE: Americans with Disabilities Remain Engaged in Labor Force
October’s nTIDE: The Numbers Appear to Hold Steady
September nTIDE: Are Workers with Disabilities Leaving the Job Market?
