For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 30, 2022 USDL-22-0555

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY: BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, TYPES OF ASSISTANCE, AND

OTHER LABOR-RELATED ISSUES — JULY 2021

In July 2021, 43.7 percent of persons with a disability who were not working reported some type of 

barrier to employment, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was down from 47.5 

percent in July 2019, the last time the supplement was conducted. A person’s own disability, lack of 

education or training, the need for special features at the job, and lack of transportation were among the 

barriers reported. Among persons with a disability who were employed, over half experienced some 

difficulty completing their work duties because of their disability.

This information was obtained from a supplement to the July 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS), a 

monthly survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment and unemployment 

in the United States. The July 2021 supplement, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Chief 

Evaluation Office, collected information about barriers to employment, prior work experience, career 

and financial assistance, requested changes to the workplace, and related topics for persons with a 

disability. This supplement was conducted twice before, in May 2012 and July 2019. Data in this news

release reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. For more 

information about the disability supplement, see the Technical Note.

Selected Characteristics of Persons with a Disability

In July 2021, 32.2 million persons in the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over had a 

disability. Persons with a disability tend to be older than those with no disability, reflecting the increased 

incidence of disability with age. In July 2021, 49.6 percent of persons with a disability were age 65 and 

over, compared with 17.5 percent of those with no disability. (See table 1.)

Women made up a greater proportion of persons with a disability than men in July 2021 (53.8 percent, 

compared with 46.2 percent), partly reflecting the greater life expectancy of women. 

By educational attainment, 21.1 percent of persons age 25 and over with a disability had a bachelor's 

degree or higher, compared with 41.0 percent for persons with no disability. 

In July 2021, 19.4 percent of persons with a disability were employed, which was less than one-third of 

the employment-population ratio for persons with no disability (64.9 percent). In part, this reflects the 

older age profile of persons with a disability. However, the employment-population ratio was much 

lower among persons with a disability for all age groups.
- 2 -

Barriers to Employment

In July 2021, 43.7 percent of those with a disability who were not employed (that is, persons who were 

either unemployed or not in the labor force) reported at least one barrier to employment. This was 3.8

percentage points lower than the proportion in July 2019 (47.5 percent). When asked to identify barriers 

they had encountered, most reported that their own disability was a barrier to employment in July 2021

(78.9 percent). Other barriers cited included lack of education or training (12.0 percent), the need for 

special features at the job (10.5 percent), and lack of transportation (10.3 percent). (See tables 2 and 3.)

Among those who were not employed, a greater proportion of persons ages 16 to 64 reported a barrier to 

employment in July 2021 than did those age 65 and over (67.9 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively). 

This may reflect the fact that older workers are, in general, less likely to participate in the labor force. 

Men with a disability who were not employed were more likely to report a barrier to employment than 

their female counterparts (45.5 percent versus 42.3 percent). 

Among persons with a disability age 25 and over, 31.0 percent of persons with a bachelor’s degree or

higher who were not employed reported a barrier to employment, compared with 50.4 percent of those 

with less than a high school diploma.

For all major demographic groups, the share of not employed persons with a disability who reported a 

barrier to employment was lower in July 2021 than in July 2019.

Prior Work Experience

Among persons with a disability who were not in the labor force in July 2021 (that is, neither employed 

nor unemployed), 87.1 percent had worked previously. This figure is lower than in July 2019 (88.6 

percent). A person's disability status was established at the time of the survey; their previous work 

experience may have occurred at a time when they did not have a disability. (See table 4.)

In July 2021, women with a disability who were not in the labor force were more likely than their male 

counterparts to have worked previously (87.9 percent versus 86.1 percent).

The proportion of persons with a disability who were not in the labor force but had prior work 

experience increased with age. In July 2021, 21.1 percent of persons ages 16 to 24 had worked before, 

compared with 97.3 percent of those age 65 and over.

Individuals with a disability who had higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to have 

had work experience. Of those age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 96.3 percent had 

worked before, compared with 83.5 percent of those with less than a high school diploma.

Career Assistance Programs

In July 2021, 5.7 percent of persons with a disability reported using some type of career assistance

program within the past 5 years to help them prepare for work or advance on the job. This figure is 

down from 6.5 percent in July 2019. Career assistance sources include State Vocational Rehabilitation 

agencies and other job assistance programs. (See table 5.)

Persons with a disability who were unemployed (that is, actively looking for work) at the time of the 

survey were more likely than those who were employed or not in the labor force to have used some type 
- 3 -

of career assistance. In July 2021, 24.0 percent of unemployed persons with a disability reported using a 

career assistance program, compared with 7.9 percent of employed persons with a disability and 4.5

percent of those not in the labor force.

Persons with a disability ages 16 to 64 were much more likely to have used a career assistance program 

than those age 65 and over (9.6 percent versus 1.8 percent).

Financial Assistance Programs

In July 2021, 56.8 percent of persons with a disability received financial assistance within the past year 

from one or more of the following sources: Workers Compensation, Social Security Disability Income, 

Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Disability compensation, disability insurance payments, 

Medicaid, Medicare, and other payments or programs. (See table 6.)

Among persons with a disability in July 2021, those who were employed were least likely to have 

received some type of financial assistance within the past year (23.8 percent). Of those with a disability 

who were unemployed, 48.5 percent received assistance from at least one of the financial assistance 

programs listed above, compared with 65.3 percent for those not in the labor force. (Differences in use 

of financial assistance among those with a disability reflect a variety of factors such as age, work 

history, or program eligibility requirements.)

Some financial assistance programs include work limitations in order to establish or maintain program 

eligibility. In July 2021, 93.4 percent of those who received financial assistance within the past year 

reported that the program(s) they used did not cause them to work less than they otherwise would have.

This figure is up from 91.7 percent in July 2019.

Difficulty Completing Work Duties

More than half of employed persons with a disability reported that their disability caused some difficulty 

in completing their current work duties in July 2021—28.5 percent reported a little difficulty in 

completing work duties, 20.4 percent reported moderate difficulty, and 6.9 percent reported severe 

difficulty. In July 2021, 44.2 percent of employed persons with a disability had no difficulty completing 

their current work duties. (See table 7.)

Among employed persons with a disability, those age 65 and over were less likely to report that they had

some difficulty completing their work duties than were those ages 16 to 64—47.5 percent versus 57.4

percent. In July 2021, 59.7 percent of women and 52.4 percent of men reported some difficulty 

completing work duties due to their disability.

Requesting Changes in the Workplace

According to the July 2021 data, employed persons with a disability were more likely to have requested 

a change in their current workplace to do their job better than were those with no disability (14.5 percent 

and 6.7 percent, respectively). Such changes included new or modified equipment; physical changes to 

the workplace; policy changes to the workplace; changes in work tasks, job structure, or schedule;

changes in communication or information sharing; changes to comply with religious beliefs;

accommodations for family or personal obligations; training; or other changes. Among workers with a 

disability, 15.6 percent of those ages 16 to 64 had requested a change in their current workplace, 

compared with 8.4 percent of those age 65 and over. (See table 8.) 
- 4 -

Regardless of disability status, requests for changes to work tasks, job structure, or schedule and 

requests for new or modified equipment were most common. (See table 9.)

In July 2021, persons with a disability who asked for a change in their current workplace were about as

likely to have requested physical changes to the workplace as were those with no disability (13.9 percent 

and 13.0 percent, respectively).

Commute

In July 2021, 73.1 percent of persons with a disability used their own vehicle for their commute to work, 

compared with 77.8 percent for persons with no disability. For persons with and without a disability, 

other commuting methods were used much less often; these methods included riding in a friend or 

family member's car, taking a bus, walking, and taking the train or subway. (See table 10.)

Work at Home

In July 2021, 30.9 percent of employed persons with a disability did at least some work at home as part 

of their job, up from 26.3 percent in July 2019. Among those with no disability, 30.7 percent of 

employed persons did some work at home in July 2021, up from 23.0 percent in July 2019. These 

increases likely reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which resulted in an 

increased incidence of telework. (See table 11.)

Older workers (age 65 and over) with a disability were more likely to do at least some work at home in 

July 2021 than were those ages 16 to 64 (38.1 percent and 29.6 percent, respectively). Employed women 

with a disability were more likely to work at home than employed men with a disability (35.7 percent 

and 26.8 percent, respectively).

Persons with a disability who had higher educational attainment were more likely to do at least some 

work at home. In July 2021, among persons with a disability age 25 and over, those with a bachelor’s 

degree or higher were more than 9 times as likely to do some work at home as those with less than a 

high school diploma (55.9 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively).

In July 2021, 12.5 percent of persons with a disability and 13.1 percent of those without a disability 

reported they worked mostly or entirely from home. Both figures were up from their pre-pandemic 

figures in July 2019, by 4.6 percentage points and 8.4 percentage points, respectively. (See table 10.)

Flexible Work Hours

Employed persons with a disability were more likely than those with no disability to have flexible work 

schedules in July 2021 (45.4 percent and 38.4 percent, respectively). These workers reported that they 

had flexible work hours that allowed them to vary the time they began or ended work. Both figures are 

about the same as in July 2019. (See table 12.)

In July 2021, 57.9 percent of workers with a disability age 65 and over had flexible work schedules, 

compared with 43.1 percent of those ages 16 and 64. Men and women with disabilities were about 

equally likely to have flexible work hours.
- 5 -

Regardless of disability status, the likelihood of having a flexible work schedule was higher for persons 

with a bachelor’s degree or higher than for those with less education.

Temporary Jobs

In July 2021, 5.4 percent of employed persons with a disability held jobs that were temporary, compared 

with 4.1 percent of those with no disability. These workers expected their job to last only for a limited 

time or until the completion of a project. (See table 13.)
Technical Note

The data in this release were collected through a 

supplement to the July 2021 Current Population Survey 

(CPS). The CPS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census

Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a monthly 

survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides 

information on the labor force status, demographics, and 

other characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional 

population age 16 and over. The supplement was designed to 

gather data in several specific areas related to the 

employment situation of persons with disabilities. The 

collection of these data was sponsored by the U.S. 

Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Office. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech 

disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications 

relay services.

Definitions and concepts from the monthly CPS

Disability status. The monthly CPS uses a set of six 

questions to identify persons with disabilities. In the CPS, 

persons are classified as having a disability if there is a 

response of "yes" to any of these questions. Persons who 

respond "no" to all of these questions are classified as having 

no disability. The disability questions are as follows. 

This month we want to learn about people who have 

physical, mental, or emotional conditions that cause 

serious difficulty with their daily activities. Please 

answer for all household members who are 15 years old 

or over. 

• Is anyone deaf or does anyone have serious 

difficulty hearing?

• Is anyone blind or does anyone have serious 

difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?

• Because of a physical, mental, or emotional 

condition, does anyone have serious difficulty 

concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?

• Does anyone have serious difficulty walking or 

climbing stairs?

• Does anyone have difficulty dressing or bathing?

• Because of a physical, mental, or emotional 

condition, does anyone have difficulty doing 

errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or 

shopping?

The CPS questions for identifying individuals with 

disabilities are only asked of household members who are 

age 15 and older. Each of the questions asks the respondent 

whether anyone in the household has the condition 

described, and if the respondent replies "yes," they are then 

asked to identify everyone in the household who has the 

condition. Labor force measures from the CPS are tabulated 

for persons age 16 and older. More information on the 

disability questions and the merits and limitations of the CPS 

disability data is available on the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability_faq.htm.

Labor force status. Employed persons are all those who, 

during the survey reference week, (a) did any work at all as 

paid employees; (b) worked in their own business, 

profession, or on their own farm; or (c) worked 15 hours or 

more as unpaid workers in a family member’s business. 

Persons who were temporarily absent from their jobs because 

of illness, vacation, labor dispute, or another reason also are 

counted as employed.

Unemployed persons are those who had no

employment during the reference week, were available for 

work at that time, and had made specific efforts to find 

employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with 

the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled 

to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been

looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

Civilian labor force comprises all persons classified as 

employed or unemployed.

Unemployment rate represents the number of 

unemployed persons as a percent of the civilian labor force.

Not in the labor force includes all persons who are not 

classified as employed or unemployed.

Not employed includes persons who were unemployed 

or not in the labor force. 

Additional information on the concepts and 

methodology of the CPS is available on the BLS website at

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm. 

Selected questions and concepts from the 

supplement

Barriers to employment. This information was obtained 

from responses to a question asked of persons with a 

disability who were not employed (that is, either unemployed 

or not in the labor force). Respondents were classified as 

having a barrier to employment if they answered "yes" to one 

or more of the response options in the following question. 

The purpose of this next question is to identify barriers 

to employment faced by persons with difficulties. Do 

you consider any of the following a barrier to 

employment for you?

1. Lack of education or training

2. Lack of job counseling

3. Lack of transportation

4. Loss of government assistance

5. Need for special features at the job

6. Employer or coworker attitudes
7. Your difficulty (hearing/seeing/concentrating, 

remembering, or making decisions/walking or 

climbing stairs/dressing or bathing/doing 

errands alone)

8. Other

Prior work experience. This information was obtained from 

answers to the following question, which was asked of 

persons with a disability who were not employed and had not 

already reported working before. 

Have you ever worked for pay at a job or business?

1. Yes

2. No

Career assistance. Persons with a disability were asked the 

following question to determine whether they had received 

certain types of career assistance. Individuals could give 

multiple responses. 

The purpose of this next question is to find out if you 

have taken advantage of any of the following sources 

that help people prepare for work or advance on the job. 

In the past 5 years, have you received assistance from:

1. State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies

2. One-Stop Career Centers

3. Ticket to Work program

4. Assistive Technology Act program

5. Center for Independent Living for individuals 

with disabilities

6. Client Assistance Program

7. Any other employment assistance program

Financial assistance. This information was obtained from 

responses to two questions. All persons were asked the 

following question and could give multiple responses. 

There are a variety of programs designed to provide 

financial assistance to people. In the past year, did you 

receive assistance from any of the following programs?

1. Workers’ Compensation

2. Social Security Disability Income

3. Supplemental Security Income

4. Veterans Disability Compensation

5. Disability insurance payments

6. Other disability payments

7. Medicaid

8. Medicare

9. Other program

The following question was asked only of persons who 

indicated in the above question that they received assistance 

from one or more programs. 

Some financial assistance programs include limitations 

on the amount of work you can do. Did this program 

cause you to work less than you would otherwise?

1. Yes

2. No 

Level of disability-related difficulty in completing work 

duties. This information was obtained from answers to the 

following question, which was asked of employed persons 

with a disability. 

Previously, you mentioned that you had difficulty 

(hearing/seeing/concentrating, remembering, or 

making decisions/walking or climbing stairs/dressing 

or bathing/doing errands alone). How has this difficulty 

affected your ability to complete current work duties? 

Would you say this has caused no difficulty, a little 

difficulty, moderate difficulty, or severe difficulty?

1. No difficulty

2. A little difficulty

3. Moderate difficulty

4. Severe difficulty

Requested changes in the current workplace. This

information was obtained from answers to two questions. 

The first, asked of all employed persons, was as follows. 

Have you ever requested any change in your current 

workplace to help you do your job better? For example, 

changes in work policies, equipment, or schedules.

1. Yes

2. No

The following question was asked only of persons who 

responded "yes" to the above question. Individuals could

identify multiple changes. 

What changes did you request?

1. New or modified equipment

2. Physical changes to the workplace

3. Policy changes to the workplace

4. Changes in work tasks, job structure, or 

schedule

5. Changes in communication or information 

sharing

6. Changes to comply with religious beliefs

7. Accommodations for family or personal 

obligations

8. Training

9. Other changes

Typical commute to work. This information was obtained 

from responses to the following question, which was asked 

of all employed persons. Individuals could identify multiple 

commuting methods. 

How do you typically commute to work?
1. Bus

2. Specialized bus or van service for people with 

disabilities

3. Train/subway

4. Taxi

5. Own vehicle

6. Passenger in a friend or family member’s car

7. Carpool

8. Bicycle

9. Walk

10. Other

11. Work from home

Work at home. This information was obtained from two 

questions. First, persons who answered "work from home" to 

the question regarding their typical commute to work were 

included among those who work at home. In addition, the 

following question was asked of all remaining employed 

persons. 

Do you do any work at home for your job or business?

1. Yes

2. No

Flexible work hours. All employed persons were asked the 

following question to determine whether they have flexible 

work hours at their current job. 

Do you have flexible work hours that allow you to vary 

or make changes in the time you begin and end work?

1. Yes

2. No

Temporary jobs. All employed persons were asked the 

following question to determine if their jobs were temporary. 

Some people are in temporary jobs that last only for a 

limited time or until the completion of a project. Is your 

job temporary?

1. Yes

2. No

Comparability of the estimates

 The concepts of barriers to employment, prior work 

experience, career and financial assistance, and other laborrelated issues for persons with a disability used in the July 

2021 survey are the same as those used in July 2019 and May 

2012, the two times the supplement was previously fielded. 

The questions used to identify these workers were essentially 

the same as in previous collections. 

However, there are a few issues that could affect the 

comparability of the estimates from previous years. For 

example, changes in the demographic characteristics of 

people with disabilities can complicate comparisons of data 

over time. In addition, the 2012 supplement was collected in 

May, and the more recent supplements were collected in 

July. 

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling 

and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire 

population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample 

estimates may differ from the true population values they 

represent. The component of this difference that occurs 

because samples differ by chance is known as sampling 

error, and its variability is measured by the standard error of 

the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of 

confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by 

no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population 

value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally 

conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.

The monthly CPS data also are affected by 

nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many 

reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the 

population, inability to obtain information for all respondents 

in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to 

provide correct information, and errors made in the 

collection or processing of the data.

General information on the reliability of data from the 

CPS is available at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.
Table 1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by disability status and selected

characteristics, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

force Total Participation

rate

Employed Unemployed

Total Percent of

population Total Rate

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 261,469 164,660 63.0 154,946 59.3 9,714 5.9 96,809

Men............................................... 126,499 87,648 69.3 82,640 65.3 5,009 5.7 38,851

Women........................................... 134,970 77,012 57.1 72,306 53.6 4,706 6.1 57,958

PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 32,220 7,174 22.3 6,259 19.4 915 12.8 25,046

Men............................................... 14,898 3,821 25.6 3,360 22.6 460 12.1 11,077

Women........................................... 17,322 3,353 19.4 2,899 16.7 454 13.6 13,969

Age

16 to 64 years...................................... 16,242 6,061 37.3 5,278 32.5 782 12.9 10,182

16 to 24 years................................... 1,906 788 41.3 621 32.6 167 21.2 1,118

25 to 34 years................................... 2,170 1,120 51.6 933 43.0 187 16.7 1,050

35 to 44 years................................... 2,367 1,096 46.3 954 40.3 142 12.9 1,272

45 to 54 years................................... 3,387 1,264 37.3 1,127 33.3 137 10.8 2,123

55 to 64 years................................... 6,411 1,793 28.0 1,643 25.6 150 8.4 4,618

65 years and over................................. 15,978 1,113 7.0 981 6.1 132 11.9 14,864

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over.......................... 30,314 6,386 21.1 5,638 18.6 748 11.7 23,928

Less than a high school diploma.............. 4,939 488 9.9 390 7.9 98 20.1 4,451

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . .. 10,676 1,872 17.5 1,605 15.0 267 14.3 8,805

Some college or associate degree........... 8,314 1,946 23.4 1,782 21.4 163 8.4 6,369

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

................ 6,384 2,081 32.6 1,860 29.1 220 10.6 4,303

PERSONS WITH NO DISABILITY

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 229,250 157,486 68.7 148,687 64.9 8,799 5.6 71,763

Men............................................... 111,601 83,827 75.1 79,279 71.0 4,548 5.4 27,774

Women........................................... 117,648 73,659 62.6 69,408 59.0 4,251 5.8 43,990

Age

16 to 64 years...................................... 189,022 148,913 78.8 140,518 74.3 8,394 5.6 40,109

16 to 24 years................................... 35,344 22,182 62.8 19,975 56.5 2,207 10.0 13,162

25 to 34 years................................... 42,591 36,410 85.5 34,178 80.2 2,232 6.1 6,180

35 to 44 years................................... 39,501 33,807 85.6 32,247 81.6 1,560 4.6 5,695

45 to 54 years................................... 36,100 30,865 85.5 29,642 82.1 1,223 4.0 5,235

55 to 64 years................................... 35,486 25,649 72.3 24,477 69.0 1,172 4.6 9,837

65 years and over................................. 40,227 8,574 21.3 8,168 20.3 405 4.7 31,654

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over.......................... 193,905 135,304 69.8 128,712 66.4 6,592 4.9 58,602

Less than a high school diploma.............. 14,903 8,525 57.2 7,762 52.1 763 8.9 6,378

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . .. 50,604 32,177 63.6 30,221 59.7 1,956 6.1 18,427

Some college or associate degree........... 48,965 34,269 70.0 32,473 66.3 1,796 5.2 14,696

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

................ 79,434 60,333 76.0 58,256 73.3 2,077 3.4 19,101

1

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

2

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: These estimates, which come from a special supplemental survey, may differ slightly from previously published estimates for July 2021 that

come from the regular monthly labor force survey.
Table 2. Persons with a disability who were not employed by age, sex, educational attainment, prior work

experience, and barrier to employment, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Not employed1 Percent distribution

Total Barrier No barrier Total Barrier No barrier

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................. 25,961 11,356 14,054 100.0 43.7 54.1

16 to 64 years....................................................... 10,964 7,446 3,241 100.0 67.9 29.6

65 years and over................................................... 14,997 3,909 10,812 100.0 26.1 72.1

Men...................................................................... 11,538 5,254 6,046 100.0 45.5 52.4

Women.................................................................. 14,423 6,102 8,008 100.0 42.3 55.5

Total, 25 years and over.............................................. 24,676 10,521 13,615 100.0 42.6 55.2

Less than a high school diploma.................................. 4,549 2,294 2,155 100.0 50.4 47.4

High school graduates, no college2

............................... 9,072 3,943 4,922 100.0 43.5 54.3

Some college or associate degree................................ 6,532 2,882 3,473 100.0 44.1 53.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher3.................................... 4,524 1,401 3,066 100.0 31.0 67.8

Never worked4

......................................................... 3,307 2,184 1,048 100.0 66.0 31.7

1 Persons who are not employed include both the unemployed and those not in the labor force (neither working nor looking for work). Employed

persons were not asked about barriers to employment.

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

4 This estimate represents all persons with a disability who have never worked. It includes both unemployed persons and persons not in the labor

force.

NOTE: Persons with a disability were able to report more than one barrier to employment. Data may not sum to total because some persons did not

respond to the question identifying barriers to employment. Barriers to employment include: lack of education or training, lack of job counseling, lack

of transportation, loss of government assistance, need for special features at the job, employer or coworker attitudes, own disability, and other.
Table 3. Persons with a disability who were not employed by age, sex, educational attainment, prior work

experience, and type of barrier to employment, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Total not

employed

with a

barrier to

employment1

Percent of total by type of barrier

Lack of

education

or

training

Lack of

job

counseling

Lack of

transportation

Loss of

government

assistance

Need for

special

features

at

the job

Employer

or

coworker

attitudes

Own

disability Other

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over........................... 11,356 12.0 5.2 10.3 4.0 10.5 8.4 78.9 19.5

16 to 64 years..................................... 7,446 13.1 6.3 11.6 4.9 12.5 10.4 81.5 17.5

65 years and over................................ 3,909 9.9 3.1 7.7 2.2 6.7 4.5 73.9 23.4

Men................................................... 5,254 12.9 6.1 9.4 4.1 10.8 9.3 80.5 18.0

Women............................................... 6,102 11.2 4.4 11.0 3.9 10.2 7.6 77.5 20.9

Total, 25 years and over........................... 10,521 11.6 4.8 9.9 4.0 10.2 8.1 78.7 19.7

Less than a high school diploma............... 2,294 23.3 8.6 13.0 4.8 8.2 7.9 73.0 23.6

High school graduates, no college2

............ 3,943 9.9 4.7 8.8 3.2 10.1 6.9 80.2 18.3

Some college or associate degree............. 2,882 7.8 3.0 10.3 4.3 12.4 8.9 79.3 19.6

Bachelor’s degree and higher3.................. 1,401 4.8 2.4 6.7 4.4 9.5 9.9 82.3 17.7

Never worked4

....................................... 2,184 10.9 4.3 7.0 2.9 6.5 3.7 77.5 23.6

1 Persons who are not employed include both the unemployed and those not in the labor force (neither working nor looking for work). Employed

persons were not asked about barriers to employment.

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

4 This estimate represents all persons with a disability who have never worked. It includes both unemployed persons and persons not in the labor

force.

NOTE: Percents may sum to more than 100 percent because persons with a disability were able to report more than one barrier to employment.
Table 4. Persons with a disability who were not in the labor force by sex, age, educational attainment, and

prior work experience, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Not in the labor force Percent distribution

Total Previously

worked

Never

worked1 Total Previously

worked

Never

worked1

PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY

Total, 16 years and over.............................................. 25,046 21,818 3,228 100.0 87.1 12.9

Men................................................................... 11,077 9,539 1,538 100.0 86.1 13.9

Women............................................................... 13,969 12,279 1,690 100.0 87.9 12.1

Age

16 to 64 years.......................................................... 10,182 7,351 2,831 100.0 72.2 27.8

16 to 24 years....................................................... 1,118 236 882 100.0 21.1 78.9

25 to 34 years....................................................... 1,050 514 536 100.0 49.0 51.0

35 to 44 years....................................................... 1,272 822 449 100.0 64.7 35.3

45 to 54 years....................................................... 2,123 1,724 400 100.0 81.2 18.8

55 to 64 years....................................................... 4,618 4,054 564 100.0 87.8 12.2

65 years and over..................................................... 14,864 14,468 397 100.0 97.3 2.7

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over.............................................. 23,928 21,582 2,346 100.0 90.2 9.8

Less than a high school diploma.................................. 4,451 3,717 734 100.0 83.5 16.5

High school graduates, no college2

............................... 8,805 7,740 1,064 100.0 87.9 12.1

Some college or associate degree................................ 6,369 5,982 387 100.0 93.9 6.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

.................................... 4,303 4,143 160 100.0 96.3 3.7

1 This estimate does not represent all persons with a disability who have never worked. It excludes a small number of unemployed persons who have

never worked before.

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.
Table 5. Persons with a disability who received career assistance in the past 5 years by current employment

status, prior work experience, and age, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Persons

with a

disability

Received career assistance1

Number

Percent of

persons

with a

disability

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 32,220 1,850 5.7

Employed............................................................................................. 6,259 495 7.9

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 915 220 24.0

Not in the labor force............................................................................... 25,046 1,135 4.5

Previously worked................................................................................ 21,818 900 4.1

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 3,228 235 7.3

Total, 16 to 64 years.................................................................................. 16,242 1,567 9.6

Employed............................................................................................. 5,278 467 8.9

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 782 210 26.8

Not in the labor force............................................................................... 10,182 889 8.7

Previously worked................................................................................ 7,351 660 9.0

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 2,831 230 8.1

Total, 65 years and over.............................................................................. 15,978 283 1.8

Employed............................................................................................. 981 27 2.8

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 132 10 7.6

Not in the labor force............................................................................... 14,864 246 1.7

Previously worked................................................................................ 14,468 240 1.7

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 397 6 1.5

1 Career assistance programs include: Vocational Rehabilitation Centers, One-Stop Career Centers, Ticket to Work program, Assistive Technology Act

program, Center for Independent Living for individuals with disabilities, Client Assistance Program, and other.

2 This estimate does not represent all persons with a disability who have never worked. It excludes a small number of unemployed persons who have

never worked before.

NOTE: Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
Table 6. Persons with a disability who used a financial assistance program in the past year by age,

employment status, usual full- or part-time status, and program limitation on work, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

Persons who used a financial assistance program

Total Percent of

total

Percent of persons who used a

financial assistance program

Total

Worked

less

because

of

program1

Did not

work less

because

of

program1

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................. 32,220 18,296 56.8 100.0 5.7 93.4

16 to 64 years....................................................... 16,242 8,317 51.2 100.0 9.9 89.0

65 years and over................................................... 15,978 9,979 62.5 100.0 2.2 97.0

Employed............................................................... 6,259 1,491 23.8 100.0 11.9 87.0

Usually work full time............................................... 4,570 785 17.2 100.0 7.8 90.7

Usually work part time.............................................. 1,689 706 41.8 100.0 16.4 82.9

Unemployed............................................................ 915 443 48.5 100.0 12.9 87.1

Not in the labor force.................................................. 25,046 16,361 65.3 100.0 4.9 94.1

1 Persons with a disability were able to report more than one financial assistance program, and the report of a limitation could refer to any of the

assistance programs used. Data may not sum to total because some persons did not respond to the question on work limitation.

NOTE: Full time is 35 hours or more per week; part time is less than 35 hours. Financial assistance programs include: Workers’ Compensation, Social

Security Disability Income, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Disability Compensation, disability insurance payments, Medicaid, Medicare, and

other payments or programs.
Table 7. Employed persons with a disability by age, sex, and level of disability-related difficulty in completing

current work duties, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Percent of total employed by level of difficulty

Total No difficulty A little

difficulty

Moderate

difficulty

Severe

difficulty

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................. 6,259 100.0 44.2 28.5 20.4 6.9

16 to 64 years....................................................... 5,278 100.0 42.6 29.7 20.5 7.2

65 years and over................................................... 981 100.0 52.5 22.5 19.6 5.4

Men...................................................................... 3,360 100.0 47.6 28.2 18.9 5.3

Women.................................................................. 2,899 100.0 40.3 28.9 22.1 8.7
Table 8. Employed persons who requested a change in their current workplace to help them do their job better

by age, sex, and disability status, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Requested a change in current

workplace

Total

Percent

of total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 154,946 10,931 7.1

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 145,796 10,406 7.1

65 years and over................................................................................... 9,149 525 5.7

Men...................................................................................................... 82,640 5,134 6.2

Women.................................................................................................. 72,306 5,797 8.0

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 6,259 905 14.5

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 5,278 823 15.6

65 years and over................................................................................... 981 82 8.4

Men...................................................................................................... 3,360 374 11.1

Women.................................................................................................. 2,899 530 18.3

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 148,687 10,026 6.7

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 140,518 9,584 6.8

65 years and over................................................................................... 8,168 443 5.4

Men...................................................................................................... 79,279 4,760 6.0

Women.................................................................................................. 69,408 5,266 7.6

NOTE: Data on people who requested a change in their current workplace are restricted to those who also provided a response about the type of

change requested. A relatively small number of people who did not specify the type of change requested are excluded from these estimates.
Table 9. Employed persons who requested a change in their current workplace to help them do their job better

by age, sex, disability status, and type of change requested, July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Total who

requested a

change in

current

workplace

Percent of total by type of change requested

New or

modified

equipment

Physical

changes

to the

workplace

Policy

changes

to the

workplace

Work

tasks,

job

structure, or

schedule

Changes in

communication or

information

sharing

Changes

to

comply

with

religious

beliefs

Accommodations for

family or

personal

obligations

Training Other

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over. . . . .. 10,931 37.6 13.1 18.7 40.2 14.6 1.1 13.1 9.2 15.4

16 to 64 years................ 10,406 37.9 12.9 18.5 40.3 14.5 1.0 13.1 9.5 15.5

65 years and over........... 525 31.5 17.9 21.4 37.6 18.5 2.3 13.3 4.2 14.4

Men............................... 5,134 43.0 13.4 19.8 37.5 15.4 1.0 11.9 9.9 15.0

Women........................... 5,797 32.8 12.8 17.6 42.6 14.0 1.2 14.2 8.6 15.9

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over. . . . .. 905 32.3 13.9 12.3 43.2 13.0 0.5 10.4 9.1 19.9

16 to 64 years................ 823 31.6 13.2 12.4 45.2 14.2 0.6 11.5 9.5 19.9

65 years and over........... 82 39.0 21.3 10.9 23.6 1.2 – – 5.3 20.2

Men............................... 374 38.2 10.8 9.9 34.2 9.3 – 6.1 9.2 26.5

Women........................... 530 28.1 16.1 13.9 49.6 15.7 0.9 13.5 9.1 15.2

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over. . . . .. 10,026 38.1 13.0 19.2 39.9 14.8 1.1 13.4 9.3 15.0

16 to 64 years................ 9,584 38.5 12.8 19.0 39.9 14.5 1.0 13.3 9.5 15.1

65 years and over........... 443 30.1 17.3 23.3 40.2 21.7 2.8 15.7 4.0 13.3

Men............................... 4,760 43.4 13.6 20.6 37.7 15.9 1.1 12.3 10.0 14.1

Women........................... 5,266 33.3 12.5 18.0 41.9 13.8 1.2 14.3 8.6 15.9

NOTE: Data on people who requested a change in their current workplace are restricted to those who also provided a response about the type of

change requested. A relatively small number of people who did not specify the type of change requested are excluded from these estimates. Percents

may sum to more than 100 percent because employed persons may have requested more than one change. Dash indicates no data or data that do

not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).
Table 10. Employed persons by typical commute to work and disability status, July 2021

[Percent distribution]

Characteristic Total Persons with a

disability

Persons with

no disability

Total employed (in thousands)....................................................................... 154,946 6,259 148,687

Percent of employed persons by commute method

Total employed......................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0

Bus.................................................................................................... 1.8 2.6 1.7

Specialized bus or van service for people with disabilities.................................... 0.1 0.7 0.1

Train/subway......................................................................................... 1.7 0.8 1.8

Taxi.................................................................................................... 0.3 0.1 0.3

Own vehicle.......................................................................................... 77.6 73.1 77.8

Passenger in a friend or family member’s car................................................... 2.4 4.8 2.3

Carpool............................................................................................... 1.0 0.9 1.0

Bicycle................................................................................................ 0.6 0.6 0.6

Walk................................................................................................... 1.8 2.6 1.8

Other.................................................................................................. 2.0 3.0 1.9

Work from home..................................................................................... 13.1 12.5 13.1

NOTE: The percent using each commuting method may sum to more than 100 percent because employed persons may have reported more than one

method.
Table 11. Employed persons who worked at home by age, sex, educational attainment, and disability status,

July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Worked at home

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 154,946 47,611 30.7

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 145,796 44,061 30.2

65 years and over................................................................................... 9,149 3,550 38.8

Men...................................................................................................... 82,640 23,507 28.4

Women.................................................................................................. 72,306 24,104 33.3

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 134,350 45,475 33.8

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 8,152 607 7.4

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 31,826 4,394 13.8

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,255 8,701 25.4

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 60,116 31,773 52.9

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 6,259 1,937 30.9

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 5,278 1,563 29.6

65 years and over................................................................................... 981 374 38.1

Men...................................................................................................... 3,360 901 26.8

Women.................................................................................................. 2,899 1,036 35.7

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 5,638 1,883 33.4

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 390 24 6.0

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,605 301 18.7

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,782 519 29.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,860 1,040 55.9

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 148,687 45,675 30.7

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 140,518 42,498 30.2

65 years and over................................................................................... 8,168 3,177 38.9

Men...................................................................................................... 79,279 22,606 28.5

Women.................................................................................................. 69,408 23,068 33.2

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 128,712 43,592 33.9

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 7,762 583 7.5

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 30,221 4,093 13.5

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,473 8,183 25.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 58,256 30,733 52.8

1

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

2

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Persons who worked at home include those who responded that they work at home when asked about their typical commute and those who

responded yes when asked if they do any work at home for their job or business.
Table 12. Employed persons with flexible work hours by age, sex, educational attainment, and disability status,

July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Flexible work hours

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 154,946 59,936 38.7

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 145,796 55,095 37.8

65 years and over................................................................................... 9,149 4,841 52.9

Men...................................................................................................... 82,640 32,433 39.2

Women.................................................................................................. 72,306 27,503 38.0

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 134,350 53,760 40.0

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 8,152 2,103 25.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 31,826 9,523 29.9

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,255 12,800 37.4

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 60,116 29,335 48.8

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 6,259 2,842 45.4

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 5,278 2,274 43.1

65 years and over................................................................................... 981 568 57.9

Men...................................................................................................... 3,360 1,473 43.8

Women.................................................................................................. 2,899 1,369 47.2

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 5,638 2,587 45.9

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 390 129 33.0

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,605 661 41.2

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,782 782 43.9

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,860 1,015 54.6

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 148,687 57,095 38.4

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 140,518 52,821 37.6

65 years and over................................................................................... 8,168 4,274 52.3

Men...................................................................................................... 79,279 30,960 39.1

Women.................................................................................................. 69,408 26,135 37.7

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 128,712 51,173 39.8

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 7,762 1,974 25.4

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 30,221 8,862 29.3

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,473 12,017 37.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 58,256 28,320 48.6

1

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

2

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Flexible work hours allow employed persons to vary or make changes in the time they begin and end work.
Table 13. Employed persons with temporary jobs by age, sex, educational attainment, and disability status,

July 2021

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Temporary job

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 154,946 6,467 4.2

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 145,796 6,078 4.2

65 years and over................................................................................... 9,149 389 4.3

Men...................................................................................................... 82,640 3,513 4.3

Women.................................................................................................. 72,306 2,954 4.1

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 134,350 3,798 2.8

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 8,152 568 7.0

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 31,826 754 2.4

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,255 859 2.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 60,116 1,617 2.7

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 6,259 341 5.4

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 5,278 281 5.3

65 years and over................................................................................... 981 59 6.1

Men...................................................................................................... 3,360 195 5.8

Women.................................................................................................. 2,899 146 5.0

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 5,638 283 5.0

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 390 38 9.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,605 99 6.2

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,782 56 3.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,860 89 4.8

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over.............................................................................. 148,687 6,126 4.1

16 to 64 years....................................................................................... 140,518 5,797 4.1

65 years and over................................................................................... 8,168 330 4.0

Men...................................................................................................... 79,279 3,318 4.2

Women.................................................................................................. 69,408 2,808 4.0

Total, 25 years and over.............................................................................. 128,712 3,516 2.7

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 7,762 530 6.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 30,221 655 2.2

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,473 803 2.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 58,256 1,528 2.6

1

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

2

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: A temporary job is one that lasts only for a limited time or until the completion of a project.