2012 Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics — 2013-06-12

In 2012, 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 63.9 percent. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability was unchanged from 2011 to 2012, while the ratio for persons without a disability increased. The unemployment rate for persons with a disability was 13.4 percent in 2012, higher than the rate for persons with no disability (7.9 percent). The jobless rates for both groups declined from 2011 to 2012. 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 information 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.