As the spread of COVID-19 slows and restrictions begin to be lifted, people appear to be returning to work, according to the National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released Friday, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 26.3 percent in April to 27.7 percent in May (up 5.3 percent or 1.4 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 63.2 percent in April to 65.2 percent in May (up 3.2 percent or 2 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).
“Comparing April to May, we see increases in the employment-to-population ratio, as well as the labor force participation rate, for both people with and without disabilities,” said John O’Neill, PhD, director of employment and disability research at Kessler Foundation. “These findings may be an indication of people with and without disabilities returning to work as restrictions ease and businesses open up.”
For working-age people with disabilities, the labor force participation rate increased from 32.7 percent in April to 34.2 percent in May (up 4.6 percent or 1.5 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also increased from 73.6 percent in April to 74.8 percent in May (up 1.6 percent or 1.2 percentage points). The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is (a) working, (b) not working and on temporary layoff, or (c) not working and actively looking for work.
“There are concerns that workers who lost their jobs permanently (immediately or after being on furlough for a period of time) will stop looking for work and thus exit the labor force,” explained economist Andrew Houtenville, PhD, research director of the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. “Seeing an increase in the labor force participation rate of people with disabilities is a very encouraging sign. People are remaining engaged in the labor market.”
