People with Disabilities: A Texas Profile

in the labor force compared to 30 percent of individuals without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2012). However, many individuals with disabilities are over age 65 and may be retired or not seeking
work.
To better understand labor participation rates, Figure 5 illustrates the 2011 labor force participation
rates for men and women over the age of 16 with and without disabilities. Both the numbers of
unemployed and employed individuals are illustrated. Men with disabilities had a 35 percent labor force
participation rate compared to the 82.5 percent rate of men without disabilities. Women with
disabilities had a 29.6 percent labor force participation rate compared to the 70.9 percent rate of
women without disabilities. Because Figure 5 illustrates labor force participation rates, the remainder of
each group can be interpreted as the portion not participating in the labor force (for instance, because
35 percent of men with disabilities were labor force participants, 65 percent were not participants).
Figure 5: National Labor Force Participation Rates for Men and Women over the Age of 16 with and
Without Disabilities, 2011
90,000,000
80,000,000
70,000,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
40,000,000
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
‐
35%
Men with
disability
82.5%
Men without
disability
29.6%
Women with
disability
Employed Unemployed
70.9%
Women
without
disability
Figure notes: Percentages indicate the 2011 annual labor force participation rate for each group. The rates are for
individuals who are 16 and over. Rates are specific to each group and cannot be added to produce gender specific
rates. Data are from BLS.
In 2011, 17.8 percent of persons with a disability were employed compared to 63.6 percent of
individuals without disabilities. Individuals with a disability were more likely to work part time than
individuals without disabilities. Thirty‐three percent of workers with disabilities reported working part
time compared to 19 percent of workers without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012).
14 Texas Workforce Investment Council