Image: These graphs compare the economic recovery of people with and without disabilities from the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing pre-pandemic data and current unemployment figures from January 2020 to October 2022. October unemployment figures were flat. Experts noted a slight increase in vacation days for both groups.
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Photo credit: Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, NJ. November 18, 2022. According to today’s COVID update from National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE), October unemployment was little changed for people with and without disabilities. The overall jobs picture remained stable, as reported in nTIDE’s October jobs report released earlier this month.
“In our 4 November nTIDE, we reported on the continued strength of the disability job market, but wondered how long this would last given the current economic climate,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, Professor of Economics at the University of Hampshire ( UNH) and Research Director of the UNH Institute on Disability. “If we look closely at the unemployment charts today, we see a very small increase in furloughs for both people with and without disabilities. While these changes are minor, they are notable in the context of the Federal Reserve’s ongoing efforts to control inflation.”
“We are seeing the beginnings of major layoffs in the tech sector, which could be a sign that more will follow if the recession remains a concern,” added Dr. Houtenville, citing news from big companies like Meta and Twitter. “This could be an early sign of an impact on unemployment, especially if we see layoffs in other sectors,” he said.
Field Notes − News from Job Path NYC
As New York City’s economic recovery continues, businesses are adjusting to the impact of the pandemic on the workplace. As workers with disabilities are welcomed back into their jobs, the nature of many positions is changing, according to nTIDE co-author John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Kessler Foundation’s Center for Employment and Disability Employment Research. dr O’Neill is also a board member of Job Path NYC, a non-profit organization that provides customized employment services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“With the reopening of offices, the boom in pandemic-related jobs has waned. For example, the need for additional cleaning services has disappeared, as has the need for COVID screening services. Today, many offices are transitioning to hybrid work, so employers and job developers are adapting tailored jobs to this new model,” he explained. “Other working environments are also adapting their job requirements, which means new niches for tailor-made employment, but takes more time to build up returnee support.”
Plans for Deeper Dive in 2023
Monitoring national trends in employment with disabilities helps us track the impact of economic changes on people with disabilities. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to diminish, the impact of inflation continues to increase. In 2023, the nTIDE team plans to transition the COVID update to a “deeper look” at the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for people with disabilities.
Register now for our upcoming nTIDE webinars scheduled for December 2, 2022 and January 6, 2023: nTIDE Lunch & Learn Webinar Series | Center for Disability Research.
Note: The December 23, 2022 webinar has been cancelled.
ICYMI: Learn about the new survey from the nTIDE team, the Kessler Foundation National Employment & Disability Survey 2022: Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Supervisor Perspectives
About nTIDE updates
National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) is a joint project of the Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Institute on Disability, co-authored by Andrew Houtenville, PhD, of the UNH Institute on Disability and John O’Neill, PhD, the Kessler Foundation. The nTIDE team is closely monitoring job counts and issuing semi-monthly nTIDE reports as the job market continues to reflect the many challenges of the pandemic. Since 2013, a monthly nTIDE has been published in conjunction with the first Friday Job Report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In April 2020, restrictions on economic activity in the US due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented surge in vacations and job seekers, prompting the release of this mid-month nTIDE COVID update. The mid-month nTIDE follows two key unemployment indicators – furloughs or layoffs and the number of people looking for work, and compares trends for people with and without disabilities.
Funding: Kessler Foundation and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (90RT5037).
About the Institute for Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university focus for improving knowledge, policies and practices related to the lives of people with disabilities and their families. For information on the NIDILRR-funded Research and Training Center for Employment Policy and Measurement of Rehabilitation, visit ResearchonDisability.org.
About the Kessler Foundation
The Kessler Foundation, a major disability nonprofit, is a global leader in rehabilitation research aimed at improving cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes—including employment—for people with neurological disabilities caused by brain disorders and injuries and spinal cord. The Kessler Foundation is a national leader in funding innovative programs that expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Visit KesslerFoundation.org for more information.
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Interested in interviewing an expert about nTIDE or our new survey? Contact Deb Hauss: [email protected]; Carolann Murphy: [email protected]
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