ODEP and our grantees, contractors and other partners undertake a variety of research, analysis and evaluation efforts to help us achieve our mission. This page contains information and links to work currently underway as well as work published in the past year. For earlier work, please visit our Past Research page. For tools and other resources related to research highlighted in this section, please visit project-specific pages.
2023 — 2024
Disability Data Series
The Disability Data Series features a collection of papers employing qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore crucial aspects of disability data. The goal of the series is to spotlight disability data collection efforts, utilization and shed light on key disability employment topics to inform policy decisions.
(April 2024) Volume 1: Stakeholder Engagement in Redesigning the Current Population Survey Disability Supplement
Women with Disabilities and the Labor Market
(August 2023) This brief examines the state of women with disabilities in the current labor market and related topics. The report uses data from the Current Population Survey, the American Community Survey and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It examines a range of topics, including:
• Disability prevalence,
• Labor market trends,
• Representation in skilled trade occupations
• Educational attainment,
• Telework and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,
• Poverty and earnings,
• Barriers to employment and
• Mental health.
Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) Project
(November 2022) REYAAS is seeking to identify promising practices and policies to support employment of young adults (ages 16 through 28) on the autism spectrum. Recent estimates suggest that annually about 100,000 youth on the autism spectrum turn 18-years old in the United States. A majority of young adults on the autism spectrum have one or more co-occurring health or mental health conditions, and young adults on the autism spectrum are more likely than young adults without disabilities to be living in households with income below the federal poverty level. Young adults on the autism spectrum can face challenges to entering the labor force, including a sudden drop in services when exiting high school (the “services cliff”). After leaving high school, they are less likely to participate in vocational or technical education and employment than young adults with other disabilities. Read the REYAAS project fact sheet.
Evaluation Design Options Report
This report builds on literature reviews and listening sessions the team conducted in the knowledge development phase of the REYAAS project, by presenting evaluation design options for the following interventions to improve employment outcomes for autistic young adults:
- Enhanced access to Registered Apprenticeship and related support services,
- Tailored YouthBuild program to the needs of autistic young adults,
- Enhanced access to supported employment in Vocational Rehabilitation and
- Incorporation of virtual interview training for transition-age youth in Job Corps.
Data Analysis Report
This report examines the way young adults on the autism spectrum (ages 16 to 28) engaged with state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, the characteristics of those who applied for VR services, the VR services that they used, and their employment outcomes. This study used Rehabilitation Services Administration—Case Service Reports (RSA-911) restricted-use files (RUF) for program years 2017 to 2020.
Literature Review #1
This report describes the range of programs, models, and strategies that have been implemented to support the transition to competitive integrated employment for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities including autism.
Literature Review #2
This report summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of the approaches identified in the first literature review, and it also assesses whether that evidence is growing, lacking, consistent, or divergent.
Data Inventory Brief
This issue brief presents an inventory of 11 data sets, including administrative and survey data sources, which contain employment-related information for young adults on the autism spectrum that researchers can use to shed light on the topic, although these data sets are limited in their ability to provide a detailed, longitudinal assessment of this population and employment outcomes.
Listening Sessions Report
This report summarizes content from listening sessions aimed at understanding the barriers and facilitators to employment and careers for young adults on the autism spectrum, with stakeholder groups that included young adults on the autism spectrum, advocates, policymakers, direct service providers, educators, employers, and researchers.
Disability and Current Population Survey (CPS) COVID-19 Supplemental Data
(June 2022) Five questions were added to the basic monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) in May 2020, to address the unprecedented changes occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This COVID-19 supplemental data permits further insights into the issues of telework/work-at-home, loss of work due to the employer closing or losing business, receiving pay for lost work, prevention from looking for work, and inability to receive necessary medical care. Researchers with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy utilize this data to provide understanding of how these impacts differed for people with disabilities.
Disability and the Digital Divide: Internet Subscriptions, Internet Use and Employment Outcomes
(June 2022) The research brief examines the disability digital divide and how it may relate to disability employment. In addition, the brief observes associations of disability status, home internet subscription types and internet use with employment retention between 2019 and 2020. Further, it examines access rates to home internet subscriptions from 2015 to 2019 and online activity participation rates in November 2019 among people with and without disabilities.
Employment of Persons with a Disability: Analysis of Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic– Findings in Brief
(February 2022) Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been unprecedented changes in employment for America’s workforce. Many businesses ceased or scaled back operations and many state governments issued stay-at-home orders, prompting historically rapid declines and subsequent recovery in the labor market. Using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), researchers with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy provide insight into key labor force statistics, employment across industries and occupations, and the effect of the ease of social distancing and the ability to telework on occupational employment change.
Black Workers with Disabilities in the Labor Force: Did You Know?
(February 2022) Disability is a natural part of the human experience, including within the Black community. This brief provides some facts to know about Black adults (age 16+) with disabilities within the US workforce.
2021
Access to Paid Leave for Family and Medical Reasons Among Workers with Disabilities
(December 2021) Most workers, including those with disabilities, will experience personal, medical and family caregiving events that demand time away from work. Access to paid leave for family and medical reasons could be especially important for both workers with disabilities and workers who are caregivers to family members with disabilities. This brief estimates the share of the workforce that has access to paid leave for certain family and medical reasons and highlights differences in access based on disability status.
Inclusive Apprenticeship
(May 2021) Inclusive apprenticeship programs — those that support and are designed to be inclusive of apprentices with disabilities — hold promise for improving long-term employment outcomes for participants. However, little is known about the prevalence and operations of inclusive apprenticeship programs. This report summarizes current information on experiences of people with disabilities in apprenticeship, drawing on the research literature, interviews with experts on inclusive apprenticeship, and administrative and survey data.
Spotlight on Women with Disabilities
(March 2021) This brief examines the state of women with disabilities in the current
labor market. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey, we examine disability prevalence, education levels, employment and related characteristics, poverty, health insurance coverage and the impact of COVID-19 on the employment of women with disabilities.
Employment for PWD: Analysis of Trends during COVID-19 Pandemic – Findings in Brief
(March 2021) Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been unprecedented changes in employment for America’s workforce. Many businesses ceased or scaled back operations and many state governments issued stay-at-home orders. Using key labor force statistics from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) researchers with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy sought to provide insight into the recent changes. This brief expands data published in September and explores changes in employment for people with and without a disability in various occupations and industries.
2020
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Models and Strategies
(September 2020) Improving the Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work outcomes of individuals who experience an injury or illness that inhibits their ability to work remains a key policy goal. Researchers found SAW/RTW programs available on a large scale may have the most impact on those workers likely to leave the labor force without such assistance. Developing effective SAW/RTW programs requires information about the current policy landscape and evidence about what kinds of SAW/RTW assistance is effective and for whom. The findings from this project also highlight a number of areas for future research and provide guidance on five strategies to expand evidence on effective SAW/RTW interventions. Click here to view our research and publications that preceded this project.
Findings in Brief
This report includes a summary of information about the study, the process, and findings from each report.
Synthesis of SAW/RTW Programs, Models, Efforts, & Definitions
This report and the accompanying summary describe SAW/RTW programs operating in the U.S. at the time of publication.
Synthesis of Evidence about SAW/RTW and Related Programs
This report and the companion summary provide a synthesis of evidence published between 2008 and 2018 on the effects of SAW/RTW or related programs on employment and the receipt of federal disability benefits.
Early Intervention Pathway Map and Population Profiles
This report and the companion summary provide a synthesis of evidence published between 2008 and 2018 on the effects of SAW/RTW or related programs on employment and the receipt of federal disability benefits.
Evaluation Design Options Report
This report and the accompanying summary offer five options for new research to build evidence about the target populations for SAW/RTW and to test the effects of interventions on employment outcomes.
Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities - Evaluation
(December 2020) The Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Demonstration and Evaluation contributes to the growing evidence base on ways to best serve students with disabilities in higher education. Findings help enhance the policies and services designed to increase the enrollment and completion of community college programs among students with disabilities.
Demonstration and Evaluation of Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
Building Accessible and Inclusive Community College Environments for Students with Disabilities
Survey of Employer Policies on the Employment of People with Disabilities
(April 2020) To survey collected information from employers about organizational policies, practices, successes and challenges as well as attitudes and beliefs in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities. ODEP sponsored a similar effort in 2008.