How diverse is the working force for the disabled in the United States?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the participation rate for people with disabilities in the workplace stands at 20.6% compared to 68.6% of those without disabilities.

19.1 percent of persons with a disability were employed, up from 17.9 percent in 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Persons who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force. A large proportion of persons with a disability — about 8 in 10 — were not in the labor force in 2021, compared with about 3 in 10 of those with no disability. This reflects the older age profile of persons with a disability; persons age 65 and over are much less likely to participate in the labor force than younger age groups

In the current job market, there are many unfilled jobs and many companies are looking for top talent. For companies to improve their corporate social responsibility, those who pay to be diverse and inclusive as productivity tends to rise. A study that was conducted by Peckham Inc, having observed over 13,000 workdays have established: productivity is increased when the number of workers with different disabilities on a team is increased. Another way of looking at this is, the strongest teams on the factory were inclusive and diverse in terms of disability.

The company can also benefit from tax credits or educational resources to provide accommodations for both new employees with disabilities.

Furthermore, it should be seen that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Across all age groups, persons with disabilities were much less likely to be employed than those with no disabilities.” The companies of today should do a better job bridging that gap and trying to have more disabled people in the workforce which in turn improves their public image to investors, potential clients etc.

Due to COVID-19 the number of disabled individuals has increased in the workforce. Disabled workers are overrepresented in these low-wage and in-person occupations that were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similarly, unemployment rates amongst disabled workers reached a high of 18.9 percent in April 2020, higher than the rate among non-disabled workers of 14.3 percent.

So what should companies do?

Here are my thoughts:

1. Companies should do more outreach, look for individuals that are actively looking for a job and give them a chance to try.
2. Post job postings on disability job boards such as Runner-up, RecruitDisability and many others.
3. Promote inclusiveness campaigns and encourage diversity hires.