A new report released State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has determined that New Yorkers with disabilities continue to face a higher unemployment rate than the national average for those with disabilities.
According to the report, unemployment rates for working-aged people with a disability soared in both New York and the nation during 2020, reaching 13.9% and 13.4%, respectively. The national rate dropped to 8.2% in 2022, but in New York it was 11.9%. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of working-age people with disabilities grew 14.4% in New York and 10.9% nationally.
Nationally, the share of working-age people with disabilities who are employed has grown since 2020, reaching a new high of 34.7% in 2022. But although in New York the share has declined since 2019 and reached 26.1% in 2022, the difference on this metric between New York and the nation ”“ 8.6 percentage points ”“ is the largest recorded in the past 13 years.
“For people living with disabilities, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many challenges, but also presented new opportunities through increased remote work,” DiNapoli said. “New York needs to address barriers to equal employment and invest in services and supports that will help level the playing field for disabled New Yorkers in the workplace.”
