Trends in Disability Employment
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate workers with disabilities — the contributions, talent, and perspective they bring to America’s workplaces and economy. NDEAM officially takes place in October, but the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is committed to upholding its message all year long to ensure that disabled workers have access to good jobs every month of every year. In celebration of NDEAM, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and ODEP partnered to develop this edition of Trendlines, focusing on disability employment and highlighting the economic recovery of people with disabilities from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contributor
Christopher McLaren is a supervisory research economist in the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor.
Editor
Kyle DeMaria is a workforce analyst and presidential management fellow in the Office of Policy Development and Research, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
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People with disabilities are identified in the Current Population Survey (CPS) based on six questions about functional difficulties that impact daily activities. Respondents who answer yes to at least one of the six questions, indicating difficulty in one or more areas, are identified as having a disability. These questions were first included in the CPS basic monthly survey in June 2008. For more information, see the CPS frequently asked questions.
Trends in Disability Employment Over Time
Employment rates for people with disabilities are among their highest on record since disability data were first collected in the CPS in 2008. In 2024 Q2, the employment rate for working-age people (ages 16 to 64) with disabilities was 38% — up from 30% in 2009 Q1. The long-standing employment gap between working-age people with disabilities and those without has declined in recent years, but the gap persists. Note, in 2024 Q2, people without disabilities were about twice as likely to work compared to people with disabilities (i.e, 75% vs. 38%). People with disabilities may face discrimination and barriers to employment, such as lack of education or training, the need for workplace accommodations, and lack of transportation. There is still work to do to continue closing the employment gap between people with and without disabilities.
Employment-population ratio among working-age people, by disability status, 2009–2024
Source: analysis of CPS Basic Monthly Samples (January 2009–June 2024) accessed via IPUMS
COVID-19 Recovery
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment rate for people with disabilities has increased much more than that for people without disabilities. To assess the labor market recovery from COVID-19, we compare the change in the employment rate between 2020 Q1 and 2024 Q1. Comparing the first quarters of each year accounts for potential influences of labor market seasonality. Over this period, the employment rate for working-age people with disabilities increased by 6 percentage points (ppts) from 31% to 37%, which means the portion of working-age people who were employed increased by nearly one-fifth (19%). Comparatively, the employment rate for people without disabilities increased by 1 ppt (74% to 75%) over the same period. A recent study estimated that 80% of the increase in disability employment could be attributed to post-pandemic increases in working from home, which increased the supply of workers with disabilities, likely due to the lower commuting costs and better control of working conditions associated with working from home.
Employment-population ratio among working-age people, by disability status, 2020–2024
Source: analysis of CPS Basic Monthly Samples (January 2019–June 2024) accessed via IPUMS
Changes in Employment by Occupation
The total number of employed people with disabilities of working age increased by 1.52 million post-pandemic, from 4.7 million in 2020 Q1 to 6.22 million in 2024 Q1. Increases varied considerably by occupation. In absolute numbers, employment for disabled workers grew the most in the professional and related occupation group over this period, increasing by 404,600 workers. This group includes computer-related occupations, scientists, educators, entertainment-related occupations, artists, community service specialists, and healthcare practitioners. The management, business, and financial occupation group (e.g., managers, accountants, and human resource workers) experienced the largest percentage increase in the number of workers with disabilities over that period (49%). While there are many factors influencing employment outcomes, the occupation groups with the largest gains in disability employment include those with a greater share of jobs that can be done at home, compared to the occupation groups that did not experience similar gains.
Change in employment by major occupation group for working-age people with disabilities, 2020 Q1 to 2024 Q1
Source: analysis of CPS Basic Monthly Samples (January–March 2020, January–March 2024) accessed via IPUMS
Employment by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, female and Black workers with disabilities have seen substantial employment gains. Women with disabilities are employed at the highest levels on record, and their labor market recovery from COVID-19 has outpaced that of men with disabilities — narrowing the gender employment gap. Employment rates for disabled women increased 7 ppts from 30% in 2020 Q1 to 37% in 2024 Q1, compared to a 5 ppt gain for disabled men (32% to 37%). Black workers with disabilities also made substantial gains in employment in recent years. The employment rate for working-age Black workers with disabilities increased by 6 ppts, from 21% in 2020 Q1 to 27% in 2024 Q1. This represents about a 30% increase in the proportion of Black people with disabilities who were employed over that period.
Employment-population ratios for working-age people with disabilities by sex and race/ethnicity, 2020 Q1 to 2024 Q1 
Note: Racial groups include non-Hispanic/Latino workers who identify with one of the following groups: American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN); Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI); Black; Multiple Races; and White.
Source: analysis of CPS Basic Monthly Samples (January–March 2020, January–March 2024) accessed via IPUMS
Workforce Development Programs and People with Disabilities
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs play a critical role in facilitating disability employment. ODEP’s National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) has developed a data tool to explore how public workforce programs serve people with disabilities. To explore this data tool and specific data for your state, visit the WIOA Data Visualization Tool. As the screenshot of the tool below displays, it includes a map with a range of filters, as well as data tables.
Labor Market Metrics
Suggested Citation
Kyle DeMaria (ed.) and Christopher McLaren, “Trends in Disability Employment,” Trendlines, U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, October 2024, https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/opder/DASP/Trendlines/posts/2024_10/Trendlines_October_2024.html
Download Data
Click here to download data from this edition of Trendlines.