For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, April 24, 2013 USDL-13-0729 

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 — MAY 2012 

In May 2012, half of all persons with a disability who were not working reported some type of barrier to 

employment, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Lack of education or training, lack of 

transportation, the need for special features at the job, and a person's own disability were among the 

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

completing their work duties because of their disability. 

These findings were obtained from a supplement to the May 2012 Current Population Survey (CPS). 

The supplement was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment 

Policy. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on national 

employment and unemployment for the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over, including 

information on persons with a disability. The May 2012 supplement 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. For more information, see the Technical 

Note. 

Selected Characteristics of Persons with a Disability 

In May 2012, about 28.3 million men and women 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 May 2012, 45.4 percent of persons with a disability 

were age 65 and over, compared with 13.4 percent of those with no disability. Women were somewhat 

more likely to have a disability than men, partly reflecting the greater life expectancy of women. In 

terms of educational attainment, 15.1 percent of persons age 25 and over with a disability had a 

bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 33.4 percent for persons with no disability. (See table 1.) 

About 18.2 percent of persons with a disability were employed in May 2012, well below the employment-population ratio of 64.3 percent for persons with no disability. In part, this reflects the older age 

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

lower among persons with a disability for all age groups. 

Barriers to Employment 

Half of those with a disability who were not employed in May 2012 (that is, persons who were either 

unemployed or not in the labor force) reported at least one barrier to employment. When asked to 
‐ 2 ‐ 

identify barriers they had encountered, most reported that their own disability was a barrier to 

employment (80.5 percent). Other barriers cited included lack of education or training (14.1 percent), 

lack of transportation (11.7 percent), and the need for special features at the job (10.3 percent). (See 

tables 2 and 3.)

A greater proportion of persons ages 16 to 64 reported a barrier to employment than those age 65 and 

over (70.8 percent and 29.8 percent, respectively), perhaps reflecting the fact that older workers are, in 

general, less likely to participate in the labor force. Among persons with a disability age 25 and over, 

38.6 percent of persons with a college degree who were not employed reported a barrier to employment, 

compared with 52.9 percent of those with less than a high school diploma.

Prior Work Experience 

Among persons with a disability who were not in the labor force in May 2012 (that is, neither employed 

nor unemployed), 87.7 percent had worked before. This proportion was essentially the same for both 

men and women. 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.) 

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

experience increased with age. For example, 21.1 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds had worked before, 

compared with 96.9 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. About 96.9 percent of those age 25 and over with a college degree had worked 

before, compared with 84.7 percent of those with less than a high school diploma. 

Career Assistance Programs 

In May 2012, 7.4 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. Career assistance 

programs include Vocational Rehabilitation Centers, One-Stop Career Centers, and similar 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 

of career assistance. About 26.7 percent of persons with a disability who were looking for work in May 

2012 reported using a career assistance program, compared with 11.1 percent of employed persons with 

a disability and 5.9 percent of those not in the labor force. 

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

those age 65 and over (12.0 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively). 

Financial Assistance Programs 

About 58.4 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.) 
‐ 3 ‐ 

Among persons with a disability, those who were employed were least likely to have received some 

type of financial assistance within the past year (23.9 percent). About 39.8 percent of persons with a 

disability who were unemployed received assistance from at least one of the financial assistance 

programs listed above, compared with 67.0 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. The large majority (92.5 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. 

Difficulty Completing Work Duties 

In May 2012, just over half of employed persons with a disability reported that their disability caused 

difficulty in completing their current work duties. About 27.8 percent reported a little difficulty in 

completing work duties, 21.1 percent reported moderate difficulty, and 7.0 percent reported severe 

difficulty. About 44.1 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—46.8 percent versus 57.6 

percent. Men and women were about equally likely to report difficulty completing work duties due to 

their disability. 

Requesting Changes in the Workplace 

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 (12.5 percent and 8.4 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, 14.1 percent 

of those ages 16 to 64 had requested a change in their current work place, compared with 3.6 percent of 

those age 65 and over. (See table 8.) 

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

common, followed by requests for new or modified equipment. (See table 9.) 

Persons with a disability who asked for a change in their current workplace were more likely to have 

requested physical changes to the workplace than were those with no disability. In contrast, training, 

policy changes, or changes in communication or information sharing were more commonly requested by 

employed persons with no disability. 

Commute 

About 74.6 percent of persons with a disability used their own vehicle for their commute to work. Other 

commuting methods used much less often by persons with a disability included riding in a friend or 
‐ 4 ‐ 

family member's car, taking a bus, walking, and taking the train or subway. Commuting methods among 

persons with no disability followed a very similar pattern. (See table 10.) 

Work at Home 

In May 2012, about 24.5 percent of employed persons with a disability did some work at home as part of 

their job, compared with 20.2 percent of those with no disability. Older workers (age 65 and over) with a 

disability were more likely to work at home than those ages 16 to 64, while men and women with a 

disability were equally likely to work at home. (See table 11.) 

Persons with a disability who had higher educational attainment were more likely to work at home. For 

example, among persons with a disability age 25 and over, college graduates were more than 3 times as 

likely to work at home than those without a high school diploma (48.9 percent and 14.8 percent, 

respectively). 

Flexible Work Hours 

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

schedules in May 2012 (42.2 percent and 35.0 percent, respectively). These workers reported that they 

had flexible work hours that allowed them to vary the time they began or ended work. (See table 12.) 

Over half (57.3 percent) of workers with a disability age 65 and over had flexible work schedules, 

compared with 39.4 percent of those between 16 and 64 years of age. Men and women with disabilities 

were about equally likely to have flexible work hours. 

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

graduates than for persons with less education. 

Temporary Jobs 

In May 2012, about 5.8 percent of employed persons with a disability held jobs that were temporary, 

compared with 4.4 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.) 

For both persons with and without a disability, the likelihood of holding a temporary job was highest 

among persons who had not completed high school. 
Technical Note 

The data in this release were collected through a 

supplement to the May 2012 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 

May 2012 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 Office of 

Disability Employment Policy. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

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 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 ask 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 Web site 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 Internet at 

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

Selected questions and concepts from the May 2012 

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. Vocational Rehabilitation Centers 

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 

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. 

Additional information on the reliability of data from 

the CPS and estimating standard errors 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, May 2012

[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......................... 242,966 156,024 64.2 143,144 58.9 12,881 8.3 86,941

Men.............................................. 117,177 82,977 70.8 75,931 64.8 7,046 8.5 34,200

Women.......................................... 125,788 73,048 58.1 67,212 53.4 5,835 8.0 52,741

PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY

Total, 16 years and over......................... 28,308 5,919 20.9 5,162 18.2 758 12.8 22,389

Men.............................................. 12,790 3,184 24.9 2,775 21.7 409 12.9 9,606

Women.......................................... 15,518 2,735 17.6 2,387 15.4 348 12.7 12,783

Age

16 to 64 years..................................... 15,445 5,030 32.6 4,350 28.2 680 13.5 10,415

16 to 24 years.................................. 1,429 467 32.7 333 23.3 135 28.8 962

25 to 34 years.................................. 1,670 715 42.8 599 35.9 116 16.2 955

35 to 44 years.................................. 2,117 816 38.5 682 32.2 133 16.3 1,301

45 to 54 years.................................. 4,246 1,347 31.7 1,202 28.3 145 10.8 2,898

55 to 64 years.................................. 5,984 1,685 28.2 1,533 25.6 151 9.0 4,299

65 years and over................................ 12,863 889 6.9 812 6.3 77 8.7 11,974

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over......................... 26,879 5,452 20.3 4,829 18.0 623 11.4 21,427

Less than a high school diploma............. 6,411 674 10.5 576 9.0 98 14.5 5,737

High school graduates, no college1

......... 9,659 1,793 18.6 1,564 16.2 229 12.8 7,866

Some college or associate degree........... 6,742 1,756 26.1 1,547 22.9 209 11.9 4,986

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

.............. 4,068 1,229 30.2 1,142 28.1 87 7.1 2,838

PERSONS WITH NO DISABILITY

Total, 16 years and over......................... 214,657 150,105 69.9 137,982 64.3 12,123 8.1 64,552

Men.............................................. 104,387 79,793 76.4 73,156 70.1 6,636 8.3 24,595

Women.......................................... 110,270 70,313 63.8 64,826 58.8 5,487 7.8 39,957

Age

16 to 64 years..................................... 185,902 143,610 77.3 131,930 71.0 11,679 8.1 42,292

16 to 24 years.................................. 37,355 20,904 56.0 17,393 46.6 3,511 16.8 16,451

25 to 34 years.................................. 39,241 33,042 84.2 30,367 77.4 2,675 8.1 6,198

35 to 44 years.................................. 37,528 32,208 85.8 30,175 80.4 2,033 6.3 5,319

45 to 54 years.................................. 39,547 34,294 86.7 32,225 81.5 2,068 6.0 5,254

55 to 64 years.................................. 32,232 23,162 71.9 21,769 67.5 1,392 6.0 9,070

65 years and over................................ 28,755 6,495 22.6 6,052 21.0 444 6.8 22,260

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over......................... 177,302 129,201 72.9 120,588 68.0 8,613 6.7 48,101

Less than a high school diploma............. 19,377 11,119 57.4 9,693 50.0 1,425 12.8 8,258

High school graduates, no college1

......... 51,365 35,033 68.2 32,243 62.8 2,790 8.0 16,332

Some college or associate degree........... 47,407 35,513 74.9 32,851 69.3 2,663 7.5 11,893

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

.............. 59,154 47,536 80.4 45,801 77.4 1,735 3.6 11,617

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 May 2012 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, May 2012

[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............................................... 23,147 11,451 11,296 100.0 49.5 48.8

16 to 64 years........................................................ 11,095 7,860 3,000 100.0 70.8 27.0

65 years and over.................................................... 12,051 3,591 8,296 100.0 29.8 68.8

Men....................................................................... 10,015 5,127 4,723 100.0 51.2 47.2

Women................................................................... 13,131 6,324 6,573 100.0 48.2 50.1

Total, 25 years and over............................................... 22,050 10,731 10,928 100.0 48.7 49.6

Less than a high school diploma................................... 5,835 3,086 2,648 100.0 52.9 45.4

High school graduates, no college2

............................... 8,094 3,803 4,144 100.0 47.0 51.2

Some college or associate degree................................. 5,195 2,712 2,382 100.0 52.2 45.9

Bachelor’s degree and higher3.................................... 2,926 1,130 1,754 100.0 38.6 59.9

Never worked4

.......................................................... 2,820 1,782 986 100.0 63.2 35.0

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, May 2012

[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............................. 11,451 14.1 5.7 11.7 4.2 10.3 7.9 80.5 18.0

16 to 64 years...................................... 7,860 16.5 7.0 14.3 5.0 12.3 9.7 83.5 15.1

65 years and over.................................. 3,591 8.6 2.6 5.9 2.6 5.9 4.1 74.1 24.4

Men..................................................... 5,127 14.6 6.7 11.5 4.3 9.9 7.7 81.9 16.7

Women................................................. 6,324 13.6 4.8 11.8 4.2 10.7 8.1 79.5 19.1

Total, 25 years and over............................. 10,731 12.9 5.2 10.4 4.3 9.9 7.5 80.8 18.2

Less than a high school diploma................. 3,086 23.5 7.4 11.9 4.9 9.2 6.2 80.4 19.1

High school graduates, no college2

............. 3,803 9.0 4.1 9.0 3.1 8.3 6.4 81.9 17.5

Some college or associate degree............... 2,712 10.3 5.3 11.3 5.8 12.5 10.5 80.4 16.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

.................. 1,130 3.3 2.5 8.8 2.6 11.0 7.7 79.5 21.6

Never worked4........................................ 1,782 19.2 8.0 14.1 3.2 8.0 4.9 75.5 20.5

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, May 2012

[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............................................... 22,389 19,631 2,758 100.0 87.7 12.3

Men..................................................................... 9,606 8,390 1,216 100.0 87.3 12.7

Women................................................................. 12,783 11,241 1,542 100.0 87.9 12.1

Age

16 to 64 years........................................................... 10,415 8,029 2,387 100.0 77.1 22.9

16 to 24 years........................................................ 962 203 759 100.0 21.1 78.9

25 to 34 years........................................................ 955 612 342 100.0 64.1 35.9

35 to 44 years........................................................ 1,301 1,034 267 100.0 79.5 20.5

45 to 54 years........................................................ 2,898 2,364 534 100.0 81.6 18.4

55 to 64 years........................................................ 4,299 3,816 484 100.0 88.8 11.2

65 years and over....................................................... 11,974 11,602 371 100.0 96.9 3.1

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over............................................... 21,427 19,428 1,999 100.0 90.7 9.3

Less than a high school diploma................................... 5,737 4,862 875 100.0 84.7 15.3

High school graduates, no college2

............................... 7,866 7,112 754 100.0 90.4 9.6

Some college or associate degree................................. 4,986 4,703 283 100.0 94.3 5.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

.................................... 2,838 2,751 87 100.0 96.9 3.1

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, May 2012

[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............................................................................... 28,308 2,104 7.4

Employed............................................................................................. 5,162 575 11.1

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 758 202 26.7

Not in the labor force................................................................................ 22,389 1,327 5.9

Previously worked................................................................................. 19,631 1,145 5.8

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 2,758 182 6.6

Total, 16 to 64 years................................................................................... 15,445 1,852 12.0

Employed............................................................................................. 4,350 544 12.5

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 680 193 28.4

Not in the labor force................................................................................ 10,415 1,115 10.7

Previously worked................................................................................. 8,029 935 11.7

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 2,387 180 7.5

Total, 65 years and over............................................................................... 12,863 252 2.0

Employed............................................................................................. 812 32 3.9

Unemployed.......................................................................................... 77 9 11.8

Not in the labor force................................................................................ 11,974 212 1.8

Previously worked................................................................................. 11,602 210 1.8

Never worked2

.................................................................................... 371 2 0.5

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.
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, May 2012

[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............................................... 28,308 16,537 58.4 100.0 6.2 92.5

16 to 64 years........................................................ 15,445 8,306 53.8 100.0 10.2 88.0

65 years and over.................................................... 12,863 8,232 64.0 100.0 2.2 97.0

Employed................................................................. 5,162 1,235 23.9 100.0 11.9 87.8

Usually work full time................................................ 3,397 506 14.9 100.0 9.4 90.6

Usually work part time............................................... 1,765 730 41.3 100.0 13.7 85.8

Unemployed............................................................. 758 302 39.8 100.0 11.5 87.3

Not in the labor force................................................... 22,389 15,000 67.0 100.0 5.6 93.0

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, May 2012

[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............................................... 5,162 100.0 44.1 27.8 21.1 7.0

16 to 64 years........................................................ 4,350 100.0 42.4 28.2 22.2 7.2

65 years and over.................................................... 812 100.0 53.2 26.0 14.9 5.9

Men....................................................................... 2,775 100.0 45.6 27.5 19.3 7.6

Women................................................................... 2,387 100.0 42.4 28.2 23.1 6.3
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, May 2012

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Requested a change in current

workplace

Total

Percent

of total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 143,144 12,300 8.6

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 136,280 11,889 8.7

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,863 411 6.0

Men....................................................................................................... 75,931 6,054 8.0

Women................................................................................................... 67,212 6,247 9.3

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 5,162 643 12.5

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 4,350 614 14.1

65 years and over.................................................................................... 812 29 3.6

Men....................................................................................................... 2,775 294 10.6

Women................................................................................................... 2,387 349 14.6

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 137,982 11,658 8.4

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 131,930 11,275 8.5

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,052 382 6.3

Men....................................................................................................... 73,156 5,760 7.9

Women................................................................................................... 64,826 5,898 9.1
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, May 2012

[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...... 12,300 36.4 13.6 22.8 46.7 16.0 1.3 12.4 13.6 10.8

16 to 64 years............... 11,889 36.2 13.5 22.8 46.9 16.0 1.3 12.5 13.7 10.6

65 years and over. . . . . . . . .. 411 41.7 16.2 22.8 40.0 15.0 0.8 7.2 9.3 15.3

Men.............................. 6,054 43.1 15.2 24.9 43.9 17.6 1.7 11.3 14.5 10.6

Women.......................... 6,247 29.9 12.1 20.8 49.5 14.5 1.0 13.4 12.7 11.0

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over...... 643 33.0 21.4 13.0 44.9 8.9 0.9 6.5 6.6 14.3

16 to 64 years............... 614 32.9 21.8 13.6 45.4 8.8 0.9 6.8 6.9 13.6

65 years and over. . . . . . . . .. 29 – – – – – – – – –

Men.............................. 294 40.7 26.7 18.9 39.7 9.4 1.7 5.3 5.2 12.6

Women.......................... 349 26.5 16.9 8.1 49.3 8.5 0.2 7.4 7.7 15.7

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over...... 11,658 36.6 13.2 23.3 46.8 16.4 1.4 12.7 14.0 10.6

16 to 64 years............... 11,275 36.4 13.1 23.3 47.0 16.4 1.4 12.9 14.1 10.4

65 years and over. . . . . . . . .. 382 42.2 16.5 24.6 40.5 15.2 0.9 7.8 10.1 14.3

Men.............................. 5,760 43.2 14.6 25.2 44.1 18.0 1.7 11.6 15.0 10.5

Women.......................... 5,898 30.1 11.8 21.5 49.5 14.8 1.0 13.8 13.0 10.7

NOTE: 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, May 2012

[Percent distribution]

Characteristic Total Persons with a

disability

Persons with

no disability

Total employed (in thousands)........................................................................ 143,144 5,162 137,982

Percent of employed persons by commute method

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

Bus..................................................................................................... 2.7 4.2 2.6

Specialized bus or van service for people with disabilities..................................... 0.2 2.0 0.1

Train/subway......................................................................................... 2.5 1.5 2.5

Taxi.................................................................................................... 0.2 0.4 0.2

Own vehicle........................................................................................... 83.3 74.6 83.6

Passenger in a friend or family member’s car................................................... 2.9 4.8 2.8

Carpool................................................................................................ 1.5 1.3 1.5

Bicycle................................................................................................. 0.7 0.9 0.7

Walk................................................................................................... 2.6 4.1 2.5

Other................................................................................................... 1.8 2.3 1.8

Work from home..................................................................................... 3.9 6.2 3.8

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,

May 2012

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Worked at home

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 143,144 29,135 20.4

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 136,280 26,868 19.7

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,863 2,267 33.0

Men....................................................................................................... 75,931 15,504 20.4

Women................................................................................................... 67,212 13,631 20.3

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 125,418 28,292 22.6

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 10,269 702 6.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 33,807 3,610 10.7

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,398 6,087 17.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 46,943 17,892 38.1

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 5,162 1,265 24.5

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 4,350 943 21.7

65 years and over.................................................................................... 812 322 39.7

Men....................................................................................................... 2,775 699 25.2

Women................................................................................................... 2,387 566 23.7

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 4,829 1,239 25.7

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 576 85 14.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,564 211 13.5

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,547 385 24.9

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,142 559 48.9

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 137,982 27,870 20.2

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 131,930 25,925 19.7

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,052 1,945 32.1

Men....................................................................................................... 73,156 14,806 20.2

Women................................................................................................... 64,826 13,065 20.2

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 120,588 27,053 22.4

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 9,693 617 6.4

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 32,243 3,400 10.5

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,851 5,703 17.4

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 45,801 17,333 37.8

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,

May 2012

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Flexible work hours

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 143,144 50,486 35.3

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 136,280 46,950 34.5

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,863 3,536 51.5

Men....................................................................................................... 75,931 27,613 36.4

Women................................................................................................... 67,212 22,873 34.0

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 125,418 45,317 36.1

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 10,269 2,546 24.8

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 33,807 9,750 28.8

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,398 11,857 34.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 46,943 21,164 45.1

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 5,162 2,181 42.2

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 4,350 1,716 39.4

65 years and over.................................................................................... 812 465 57.3

Men....................................................................................................... 2,775 1,185 42.7

Women................................................................................................... 2,387 995 41.7

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 4,829 2,089 43.3

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 576 229 39.7

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,564 572 36.6

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,547 689 44.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,142 600 52.6

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 137,982 48,306 35.0

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 131,930 45,235 34.3

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,052 3,071 50.7

Men....................................................................................................... 73,156 26,428 36.1

Women................................................................................................... 64,826 21,878 33.7

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 120,588 43,227 35.8

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 9,693 2,317 23.9

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 32,243 9,178 28.5

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,851 11,168 34.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 45,801 20,564 44.9

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,

May 2012

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic Total

employed

Temporary job

Number

Percent of

total

employed

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 143,144 6,312 4.4

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 136,280 5,948 4.4

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,863 365 5.3

Men....................................................................................................... 75,931 3,405 4.5

Women................................................................................................... 67,212 2,908 4.3

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 125,418 4,549 3.6

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 10,269 742 7.2

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 33,807 1,063 3.1

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 34,398 997 2.9

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 46,943 1,747 3.7

Persons with a disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 5,162 297 5.8

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 4,350 250 5.7

65 years and over.................................................................................... 812 47 5.8

Men....................................................................................................... 2,775 164 5.9

Women................................................................................................... 2,387 133 5.6

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 4,829 256 5.3

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 576 55 9.5

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 1,564 75 4.8

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 1,547 66 4.3

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 1,142 60 5.3

Persons with no disability

Total, 16 years and over............................................................................... 137,982 6,015 4.4

16 to 64 years........................................................................................ 131,930 5,698 4.3

65 years and over.................................................................................... 6,052 317 5.2

Men....................................................................................................... 73,156 3,241 4.4

Women................................................................................................... 64,826 2,775 4.3

Total, 25 years and over............................................................................... 120,588 4,293 3.6

Less than a high school diploma.................................................................. 9,693 687 7.1

High school graduates, no college1

............................................................... 32,243 988 3.1

Some college or associate degree................................................................ 32,851 931 2.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................................................... 45,801 1,687 3.7

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.