National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) – A Year in Review and 2015 Outlook

Although the overall outlook for people with disabilities seeking employment in 2014 was tough, the last three months showed significant improvement that will hopefully lead into a more positive 2015. The employment-to-population ratio for 2014 declined to an average of 26.0 percent, falling from 26.8 percent in 2013. Additionally, the average monthly labor force participation rate dropped from 31.4 percent in 2013 to 30.2 percent in 2014. While these average numbers do not show a positive trend for people with disabilities in employment, October through December showed an increase in employment-to-population ratio than in those months respectively in 2013. December also had a higher labor force participation rate since December 2013.Hopefully these positive trends will continue into 2015.