nTIDE November 2021 Jobs Report:  Historic employment gains continue for people with disabilities

November marked the fourth consecutive month of employment gains for people with disabilities, according to today's National Trends in Disability Employment—Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). This four-month increase is in stark contrast to the declining trend for people without disabilities.

nTIDE COVID Update (month-to-month comparison)

In the BLS Jobs Report released Friday, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 33.2 percent in October 2021 to 34.6 percent in November 2021 (up 4.2 percent or 1.4 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 73.5 percent in October 2021 to 73.8 percent in November 2021 (up 0.4 percent or 0.3 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).

 "Once again, we are seeing the employment-to-population ratio exceed the historic high points for people with disabilities," said John O'Neill, Ph.D., director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. "Specifically, the November employment-to population-ratio is not only higher than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic but exceeds the all-time recorded high of the fall of 2008."

The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities increased from 36.8 percent in October to 37.7 percent in November 2021 (up 2.4 percent or 0.9 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also increased from 76.6 percent in October to 76.7 percent in November 2021 (up 0.1 percent or 0.1 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.

"Seeing both of these indicators—the employment-to-population ratio and labor force participation rate—improving beyond their historic highs, is really positive," remarked Andrew Houtenville, Ph.D., professor of economics and the research director of the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability. "These gains suggest that the restructuring resulting from the pandemic may be benefiting people with disabilities. Ironically, it may have taken a pandemic to shake the labor market loose for people with disabilities."

Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparison to the same time last year)

The employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 29.1 percent in November 2020 to 34.6 percent in November 2021 (up 18.9 percent or 5.5 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 71.1 percent in November 2020 to 73.8 percent in November 2021 (up 3.8 percent or 2.7 percentage points).

The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities increased from 33.6 percent in November 2020 to 37.7 percent in November 2021 (up 12.2 percent or 4.1 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also increased from 75.9 percent in November 2020 to 76.7 percent in November 2021 (up 1.1 percent or 0.8 percentage points).

In November 2021, among workers ages 16-64, the 5,542,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.8 percent of the total 145,167,000 workers in the U.S.

Provided by Kessler Foundation