Latest Jobs Report Shows Troubles Remain

The September jobs report has been released, and although the economy added 103,000 jobs during the month, the unemployment rate was unchanged for Americans with disabilities. The current 16.1 percent unemployment rate among individuals with disabilities is significantly higher than the national average (9.1 percent), and remains much higher than the unemployment rate for those with disabilities one year ago (14.8 percent).

We know it is critical to push for greater employment support year-round for people with disabilities, and that focus should be even greater right now. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to help elevate the national dialogue about employment opportunities for all.

At a time when job creation has never been a greater public focus, we have yet to see adequate time and energy devoted to supporting equal access to employment for workers with disabilities. The theme of this year’s TASH Conference is No Excuses: Creating Opportunities in Challenging Times and it speaks directly to this issue. In fact, it’s a perspective that TASH values each and every day, particularly during tough economic times.

You can learn more about our focus on employment at the TASH Conference by viewing this special preview. Also, throughout October we are offering a webinar series on Discovery and Employment for as low as $35 per session. This webinar series examines an approach to employment that seeks to answer an important yet often overlooked question, “Who is this person?” You can learn more about this series here.

Related: Job Woes Linger for those with Disabilities (Disability Scoop)