There was little change in unemployment in February as the economy weathered the waning effects of the omicron surge, according to the National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) COVID Update for February 2022.

The slowing of forward momentum in January persisted into February. The minimal declines in February’s unemployment numbers for people with and without disabilities fall within the margin of error, according to  nTIDE expert Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics at the University of Hampshire (UNH) and research director of the UNH Institute on Disability. “With the decline in COVID-19 cases and the lifting of pandemic restrictions across the nation, we may see improvement in the March numbers,” said Dr. Houtenville.

Referencing the recent nTIDE Special Edition, Dr. Houtenville reiterated the good news underlying the pace of the decline in unemployment. “There’s a big difference in labor force participation between people with and without disabilities. The labor force participation rate is up for people with disabilities, but not for people without disabilities. Clearly, people with disabilities are engaging more in the labor market by working and looking for work.”

Dr. Houtenville advised a nuanced approach to evaluating unemployment rates. “It’s important to remember that the unemployment numbers include people who are looking for work,” he emphasized. “More people with disabilities are working, and as shown in the green graphic, more are actively looking for work compared to pre-pandemic levels. The blue graphic also shows that the number of people without disabilities who are looking for work has yet to exceed pre-pandemic levels.”  

Field Notes

Other factors may be affecting the sluggish improvement in unemployment, Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president of grantmaking and communications at Kessler Foundation, who cited information from NJ APSE (New Jersey Association of People Supporting Employment), where she serves as a board member. “While referrals are picking up for jobseekers with disabilities, placement is slow due to the ongoing shortage of job coaches and support staff,” reported Katz. “Many employment service providers lost staff during the pandemic lockdown and are having difficulty finding qualified candidates for relatively low paying positions.”  

Pre-existing staff shortages may have been exacerbated by the pandemic lockdown, according to nTIDE co-author John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Employment Research at Kessler Foundation. Dr. O’Neill spoke with Julie Christensen, MSW, PhD, executive director of National APSE, to confirm the findings of APSE’s survey conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed chronic understaffing of service providers by 30 percent.

Dr. O’Neill is on the board of Job Path NYC, which shares the staffing issues of other employment service providers. “Job Path reports a positive trend in their recent hiring efforts,” said Dr. O’Neill, “as younger people with a commitment to social justice show interest in working with jobseekers with disabilities.”  

nTIDE Lunch & Learn

Each nTIDE release is followed by a Lunch & Learn webinar at 12:00 ET, featuring nTIDE experts Andrew Houtenville, PhD and John O’Neill, PhD. Register for upcoming webinars, and view the nTIDE archives here:  nTIDE Lunch & Learn Webinar Series | Center for Research on Disability

[Source(s): Kessler Foundation, EurekAlert]

Related Content:
nTIDE January 2022 COVID Update: Rise in January Unemployment Reflects Omicron Surge
nTIDE December 2021 COVID Update: Unemployment Trends Lower for People with Disabilities