As COVID-19 outbreaks continue to affect national and local economies, the job market struggled to maintain momentum, according to the National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE) for January 2021, issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).
In the coming months, prospects for recovery may improve as vaccine availability increases and the federal government implements new public health measures and considers additional economic relief.
nTIDE COVID Update (month-to-month comparison)
In the recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 29.4% in December 2020 to 28.7% in January 2021 (down 2.4% or 0.7 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also decreased from 70.9% in December 2020 to 70.5% in January 2021 (down 0.6% 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).
“In January, we saw a decrease in the employment-to-population ratio as COVID-19 infections spiked across the nation following the Christmas and New Year holidays. We should see improvement in the employment-to-population ratio in coming months as the stimulus bills kick in and vaccines are more widely distributed.”
— 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 33.2% in December 2020 to 32.8% in January 2021 (down 1.2% or 0.4 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 75.7% in December 2020 to 75.5% in January 2021 (down 0.3 percent 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.
“The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities also declined slightly in January. 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 January 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 30.7% in January 2020 to 28.7% in January 2021 (down 6.5% or 2 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also decreased from 74.4% in January 2020 to 70.5% in January 2021 (down 5.2% or 3.9 percentage points).
The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 33.6% in January 2020 to 32.8% in January 2021 (down 2.4% or 0.8 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 77.4% in January 2020 to 75.5% in January 2021 (down 2.5% or 1.9 percentage points).
In January 2021, among workers ages 16-64, the 4,279,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.1% of the total 138,541,000 workers in the U.S.
nTIDE COVID Update – Friday, February 19 at 12:00 pm Eastern
Stay tuned for the mid-month update about the employment of people with disabilities as we follow the impact of COVID-19 and look at the numbers in more detail, Kessler Foundation notes.
[Source(s): Kessler Foundation, PRWeb]
Related Content:
December 2020 nTIDE: COVID Surge Slows Recovery for People with Disabilities
November 2020 nTIDE: Americans with Disabilities Remain Engaged in Labor Force
October’s nTIDE: The Numbers Appear to Hold Steady
