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Friday, August 5, 2016

Employment Gains Continue in July 2016 for Americans with Disabilities

Kessler Foundation and University of New Hampshire release nTIDE Report for July – Monthly Update
DURHAM, NH – August 5, 2016. For the fourth straight month, major economic indicators increased for people with disabilities, according to today's National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).  The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) focuses on strategies that facilitate the transition of jobseekers with disabilities to the workplace. To improve available services and facilitate the process of transition, WIOA promotes the coordination of state vocational rehabilitation programs with employment and training services. By aligning workforce development programs with employers’ needs, jobseekers will be better equipped to move into available positions. 
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Jobs Report released Friday, August 5, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 27.2 percent in July 2015 to 28.1 percent in July 2016 (up 3.3 percent; 0.9 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 72.6 percent in July 2015 to 73.3 percent in July 2016 (up 1.0 percent; 0.7 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100). 
“For the fourth consecutive month we are seeing an improvement in the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities,” noted John O’Neill, Ph.D., director of employment and disability research at Kessler Foundation.  “Once again, these gains are outpacing those made by people without disabilities. This pattern is similar to what we saw in the first half of last year. Let’s hope that we continue on this course and avoid the downturn that occurred in the second half of 2015.”

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