265326 Low employment rates: A look at the supply side

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 12:53 PM - 1:11 PM

John Gettens, PhD , Disability, Health and Employment Policy Unit, Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA
Alexis Henry, ScD, OTR/L , Disability, Health and Employment Policy Unit, Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA
Monika Mitra, PhD , Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA
The employment rate among persons with disabilities is much lower compared to persons without disabilities. Lengthy lists have been put forward to explain the low employment rate but there has been little study to estimate the amount of labor (labor supply) non-working persons with disabilities are ready to provide. We describe the potential labor supply using a 2010 Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System follow-up survey of working-age persons in with disabilities, Approximately 55% of persons with disabilities in Massachusetts are not working. We find that the potential labor supply among these persons is substantial. Three-quarters indicate they would accept a job offer that included both good hours and good wages. The wage expectations are not excessive. Approximately 50% report they would accept a job with wages of $10/hour and nearly all (96%) report they would accept a job with wages of $20/hour. Some persons with disabilities want part-time employment but most, 58%, want full-time employment. While the potential labor supply is substantial, the demand for labor is weak. Over half of persons report that it is ‘not at all likely' that they will receive a job with good hours and good wages in the next 12 months. With a low likelihood of getting at job with good hours and good wages few persons with disabilities actively seek work. More than three-quarters of the non-working are no longer looking for work, and for nearly all (85%) it has been more than 12 months since they actively sought employment.

Learning Areas:
Biostatistics, economics

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the potential labor supply of non-working persons with disabilities. 2. Describe the employment statistics of persons with disabilities in Massachusetts. 3. Discuss the potential of using follow-up surveys to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey for research on the employment of persons with disabilitis.

Keywords: Disability, Economic Analysis

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked extensively with survey data and have expertise in quantitative research methods. I conduct research on the healthcare and employment of persons with disabilities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.