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The new jobs report showed that the percentage of persons with a disability who are fully employed has reached an all-time high under President Biden.
Dean Baker tweeted the numbers:
5.8 percent unemployment rate is also an all-time low
— Dean Baker (@DeanBaker13) December 2, 2022
Even with the improvement, more than one out of every four disabled persons does not have a job.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of the people with disabilities are over age 65, and 80% of those with disabilities aren’t in the workforce, “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. In part, 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. Across all age groups, however, persons with a disability were more likely to be out of the labor force than those with no disability. ”
Given this context, the fact that the Biden administration has overseen record growth in employment participation is a remarkable accomplishment.
More can and should be done.
Increasing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities should not be a partisan issue. Those persons with disabilities who can work often want to, but they aren’t given opportunities due to accessibility issues, transportation issues, and sometimes discrimination.
As a person with a disability who had to go the self-employed route to find work, I can tell you from personal experience that it is good for society and life-changing for persons with disabilities when they are given the opportunity to work.
As an Americans With Disabilities Act expert, I can also tell you that there is much more we can do as a country.
President Biden is overseeing a record-breaking economy, but more can be done to create opportunities for persons with disabilities to contribute and achieve their full potential.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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