2011 Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics — 2012-06-08

In 2011, 17.8 percent of persons with a disability were employed, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In contrast, the employment- population ratio for persons without a disability was 63.6 percent. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability declined from 18.6 percent in 2010 to 17.8 percent in 2011. The ratio for persons without a disability was about unchanged. The unemployment rate of persons with a disability was 15.0 percent in 2011, higher than the rate for those with no disability, at 8.7 percent. The 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. The collection of 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.