The August job numbers suggest there may be improvement for Americans with disabilities, according to most recent National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).

Experts express caution due to the many factors that could affect economic recovery, however, according to a media release from Kessler Foundation.

nTIDE COVID Update

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 28.1% in July to 28.8% in August 2020 (up 2.5% or 0.7 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 68.4% in July to 69.7% in August 2020 (up 1.9% or 1.3 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).

“We see modest improvements in the employment-to-population ratio for people with and without disabilities, reflecting a recovery of economic activity. This is particularly encouraging for people with disabilities, who experienced a slight downturn last month.”

— John O’Neill, PhD, director of employment and disability research at Kessler Foundation

The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities increased from 33% in July to 33.6% in August 2020 (up 1.8% or 0.6 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 76.4% in July to 76.1% in August 2020 (down 0.4% or 0.3 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.

“The modest increase in the labor force participation rate is also a good sign, compared to the decrease we saw last month. It suggests that workers are staying engaged in the labor force, meaning they are employed, on temporary layoff, or actively looking for work.

“While the numbers are positive, caution is warranted. There are many factors that could affect recovery over the next few months, including the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19.”

— economist Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability

Traditional nTIDE Numbers

The employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 32% in August 2019 to 28.8% in August 2020 (down 10% or 3.2 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also decreased from 74.6% in August 2019 to 69.7% in August 2020 (down 6.6% or 4.9 percentage points).

The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 34.7% in August 2019 to 33.6% in August 2020 (down 3.2% or 1.1 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also decreased from 77.4% in August 2019 to 76.1% in August 2020 (down 1.7% or 1.3 percentage points).

For reference, in August 2020, among workers ages 16-64, the 4,178,000 workers with disabilities represented 3% of the total 137,553,000 workers in the US, the release continues.

[Source(s): Kessler Foundation, PRWeb]


Related Content:
July nTIDE Raises Red Flags for Workers with Disabilities
June 2020 nTIDE – Reopenings Help Improve Job Numbers
nTIDE May 2020 Special Report Looks at Workers with Disabilities in the COVID Economy