Economic Improvements for Disabled Employees and an Employer

The Department of Labor (DOL) has reported that unemployment numbers for individuals with disabilities fell in December to 11.7%, thus showing that individuals with disabilities had better prognosis for finding employment in 2012.  These stats are down from 12.7% reported the month before.  December marked the fourth consecutive month that the unemployment rate declined for Americans with disabilities.  Unfortunately, the jobless rate remained largely unchanged for the general population at 7.8%, despite an addition of 155,000 jobs to the economy according to the DOL.  The DOL has been tracking employment among individuals with disabilities since 2008 and they have not come to a conclusion whether the percentages are based on seasonal trends among this population base.  Data includes individuals with disabilities over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions.  The DOL releases monthly reports targeted to the individuals with disabilities group. 

Other highlights that the DOL reports on individuals with disabilities includes:  an individual with a disability is three times as likely as an individual without a disability to be age 65 and over;  the employment population ratio for all age groups is much lower for individuals with a disability than for an individual with no disability; one-third of the workers with a disability were employed part-time compared with about one-fifth of those with no disability; and, individuals with a disability are more likely to be self-employed than those with no disability.

Studies have found that when an employer hires individuals with disabilities, they are hiring focused, dedicated and loyal people.  Disabled employees tend to stay longer on the job than their non-disabled counterparts.  There is little difference in productivity and attendance rates between people with or without disabilities.  Companies such as Walgreen’s, Home Depot, Marriott and Pizza Hut report that absentee rates are actually lower among their disabled workforce.  Marriot’s turnover rate among their employees was 6% with disabilities vs. 52% overall.  If an employee is a disabled veteran, the employer often sees additional qualities such as discipline, respect and team work.  Employees with disabilities have, by definition, proven themselves to be experts at persisting to overcome obstacles.  Employees with disabilities can give businesses the inside track to a sizeable niche market for their company’s products and services.

If you are an employee or job seeker with a disability, be proud. While finding a job may seem daunting, it is proven that, as an employee, you are part of a group of people who improve the success of businesses and provide reliable and valuable services, all traits employers find extremely valuable.