Employment Report Encouraging for the Differently-Abled

When the unemployment figures for September were released last week, there was a lot of politicking surrounding the rate, which fell to 7.8 percent nationally, the first time it’s been under 8 percent since January 2009.

Inside the numbers, however, was another rate that didn’t get as much attention. Since 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has compiled unemployment figures for the differently-abled. And although the information hasn’t been around long enough to seasonally adjust and evaluate month-to-month, there are some encouraging signs in the most recent report.

The unemployment rate for the differently-abled was 13.5 percent for September, down from 13.9 percent in August, and perhaps more tellingly, down from 16.1 percent in September 2011.

Unlike with the overall unemployment figures, which reflect a decrease in the size of the civilian labor force in recent months, the numbers for the differently-abled show an increase in the labor force month-over-month and year-over-year. The 5.2 million differently-abled people who were employed in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is the largest number since July 2009. The 6.1 million differently-abled people in the labor force is also the highest number since July 2009.

Here’s a look at the unemployment rate for the differently-abled (not seasonally adjusted) since 2008:

Thank you to all employers who look to the differently-abled population as a capable and hardworking employee base, and we hope to see the numbers continue on their current path.

For more information about employment information regarding the differently-abled, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

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