How does the disability employment rate vary by state?

The employment rate, also known as the employment-population ratio, is the percent of individuals who are employed out of the total population. Higher employment rates indicate that more of the population is at work. This statistic is one of many indicators of the workforce participation among disabled people.

The following interactive map visualizes how the employment rate, or employment-population ratio, varies by state and between different race and ethnicity groups, within all working-age adults with disabilities, in the period from 2016 to 2020.

Employment-Population Ratio by State and Race or Ethnicity (2016 to 2020 Period Estimate)

Universe: Disabled, Civilian, Noninstitutionalized Population, Ages 18 to 64

 

Key Insights:

  • In the period between 2016 and 2020, 18 states have disability employment-population ratios 40% or higher. The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among all disabled adults 18 to 64 is North Dakota at 51%.
  • The state or district with the highest disability employment-population ratio among White adults is Washington, DC at 65%.
  • The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among Black adults is South Dakota at 64%.
  • The state or district with the highest disability employment-population ratio among Asian adults is Washington, DC at 56%.
  • The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among American Indian or Alaska Native adults is Maryland at 65%.
  • The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults is Utah at 46%.
  • The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among Other or Multiple Race adults is Wyoming at 50%.
  • The state with the highest disability employment-population ratio among Hispanic adults is North Dakota at 72%.

Note: All racial categories refer to those who identified as non-Hispanic and by one racial group only, while Hispanic refers to those who identified as Hispanic/Latino.

For more Office of Disability Employment Policy data, visit dol.gov/agencies/odep/research-evaluation/statistics.

Last Updated: December 22, 2022