U.S. unemployment rate of persons with a disability 2009-2023

In 2023, the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was at 7.2 percent in the United States. This was a decrease from the previous year, when the unemployment rate was at 7.6 percent. The high unemployment among persons with disabilities may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted everyone's employment, as can be seen in the unemployment rate of adults in the United States.

The persons with a disability section of the Current Population Survey (CPS) is a set of six questions to identify persons who have physical, mental, or emotional conditions that cause serious difficulty with their daily activities.

Disability in the labor force

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows the unemployment rate of persons with a disability that have the ability to participate in the civilian labor force. In 2020 around 20.5 percent of persons with disabilities in the United States participated in the civilian labor force. Among those capable of participating in the civilian labor force, persons with a disability tend to have a higher chance of employment the higher their level of education. Persons with a disability that had a bachelor's degree or higher had the highest employment rate in 2020 at 25.7 percent.

Social Security benefits

Due to the inability to work, or the lack of access to suitable employment, many persons with a disability rely on government sources for financial aid. A portion of civilian paychecks are taxed to fund programs like the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) which provide this aid. In 2018, around 12.46 million disabled persons received OASDI or SSI benefits in the United States.