2021 Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics — 2022-02-24

In 2021, 19.1 percent of persons with a disability were employed, up from 17.9 percent in 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. For persons without a disability, 63.7 percent were employed in 2021, up from 61.8 percent in the prior year. The unemployment rates for persons with and without a disability both declined from 2020 to 2021, to 10.1 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively. Data for both groups reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. Data on persons with a disability are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment and unemployment in the United States. Collection of the data on persons with a disability is sponsored by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. For more information, see the Technical Note in this news release.