Credible, consistent data is critical to creating change. ODEP promotes the availability and use of disability data and statistics to further education, research, and policy initiatives to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.
This work was first revealed in 2008, when after several years of research and testing, new questions were added to the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) to gauge the employment status of people with disabilities. The questions, which were originally developed for use in the American Community Survey (ACS), were added after extensive collaboration between ODEP, DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other stakeholders, and were sponsored by ODEP. Prior to this, there was no way to measure the labor force status of people with disabilities on a regular basis. Today, these data are updated monthly, providing citizens and policymakers with reliable and accurate information on a topic of importance to America's workforce and economy.
Disability Labor Force Statistics
These statistics are obtained directly from BLS publication of monthly aggregate series derived from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and are not seasonally-adjusted. Annual averages are calculated over the 12 months of that calendar year, and 12-month moving averages (12m MAs) are calculated ending in the latest month for which data is available. The age range 16-64 is commonly considered to be the “working-age population”, while the age range 16 and older is the entire age range for which the CPS reports labor force data. “M” and “F” in the column headings indicate the data in that column is limited to men and women, respectively.
| Labor Force Statistic | October 2023 | 2022 | 12 month moving average | 12 month moving average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | males age 16 to 64 | females age 16 to 64 | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 40.4% | 24.4% | 37.8% | 23.1% | 39.9% | 24.1% | 41.0% | 38.8% |
| Employment-Population Ratio | 37.2% | 22.6% | 34.8% | 21.3% | 36.9% | 22.4% | 38.0% | 35.9% |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.8% | 7.4% | 8.2% | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.3% | 7.6% |
| Labor Force Statistic | October 2023 | 2022 | 12 month moving average | 12 month moving average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | age 16 to 64 | age 16 and older | males age 16 to 64 | females age 16 to 64 | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 78.0% | 68.2% | 77.1% | 67.8% | 77.6% | 68.0% | 82.7% | 72.5% |
| Employment-Population Ratio | 75.2% | 65.8% | 74.4% | 65.4% | 74.9% | 65.7% | 79.7% | 70.1% |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.3% |
Source: Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Definitions:
- Labor Force Participation Rate: Equal to the labor force (sum of employed and unemployed) divided by the entire population (civilian, non-institutionalized).
- Employment-Population Ratio: Equal to the employed divided by the entire population (civilian, non-institutionalized).
- Unemployment Rate: Equal to the unemployed divided by the labor force (sum of employed and unemployed).
2022 Annual Youth Labor Force Participation Rate and Unemployment Rate
| Age | Disability | No Disability |
|---|---|---|
| Age 16 to 19 | 28.9% | 37.2% |
| Age 20 to 24 | 50.0% | 72.1% |
| Age | Disability | No Disability |
|---|---|---|
| Age 16 to 19 | 19.6% | 10.4% |
| Age 20 to 24 | 14.5% | 6.7% |
Generated using unpublished data obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Table 1. Labor force status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, age, and disability status, Annual Average 2022 (Source: Current Population Survey)
2022 Annual Labor Force Statistics by Disability Status and Race/Ethnicity
| Labor Force Statistic | Hispanic | White | Black | Asian | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 38.3% | 39.7% | 29.7% | 40.6% | 35.4% | 37.8% |
| Employment-Population Ratio | 34.4% | 37.0% | 26.0% | 37.9% | 30.7% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.1% | 6.7% | 12.4% | 6.7% | 13.2% | 8.2% |
| Labor Force Statistic | Hispanic | White | Black | Asian | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 74.5% | 79.0% | 75.2% | 74.5% | 73.4% | 77.1% |
| Employment-Population Ratio | 71.5% | 76.8% | 70.7% | 72.4% | 69.4% | 74.4% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.1% | 2.8% | 5.9% | 2.8% | 5.4% | 3.5% |
Source: Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Notes: The category labelled “Other” combines the three categories of American Indian and Alaska Native, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and multiple races; all categories after Hispanic are limited to non-Hispanics.
General Disability Employment Statistics Resources
Current Population Survey (CPS)
- Current Population Survey Annualized Disability Employment Statistics
- Current Population Survey Population Estimates
- 2016 (XLS)
- Current Population Survey Disability Supplement
- 2021 (PDF)
Released by DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPS is the U.S. government's source for comprehensive monthly estimates on labor force participation, employment, and unemployment.- Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics
- Table A-6. Employment Status of the Civilian Population by Sex, Age, and Disability Status, Not Seasonally Adjusted
- Historical Disability Employment Data
- Labor Force Characteristics of People with a Disability
- Frequently Asked Questions about Disability Employment Data
- Frequently Asked Questions about How the Government Measures Unemployment
- American Community Survey (ACS)
Released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the ACS is the largest survey sampled annually in the United States, and collects data on a wide range of demographic, economic and housing characteristics. Every year, the Census releases ACS aggregate estimates related to employment and other characteristics of people with disabilities.- American Community Survey Population Estimates
- 2016 (XLS)
- American Community Survey Population Estimates
- Disability Datasets Compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- How Disability Data Are Collected
Other Resources
- DisabilityStatistics.org
- Annual Disability Statistics Compendium
- Disability Data in National Surveys (PDF)
- Sources for Employment and Disability Data
Commonly Used Terms
- People with jobs are employed.
- People who are jobless, looking for jobs, and available for work are unemployed.
- People who are employed or unemployed but looking for jobs and available for work are in the labor force.
- People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force.
- Labor force measures are based on the civilian, non-institutional population 16 years old and over.