By Hank Russell
A new report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli shows that, although the percentage of disabled individuals in the workforce in the state has risen over the past five years, it has still been lower than the nation’s.
The labor force participation rate for those with a disability aged 16 and over rose by 4.6% percentage points between 2019 and 2024, while it dropped one-half of a percentage point for the state’s nondisabled workforce. Despite this progress, only 28.8% of individuals with disabilities participated in the labor force in 2024, less than half the rate of people in New York without a disability (69.9%, 70.7% for people without a disability) and 3.5 percentage points below the national rate for people with disabilities (32.3%).
In 2019, the state’s labor force participation rate for individuals with a disability was 24.2%, but the nation’s participation rate was 27.3%. Over that time, New York always lagged behind the U.S.’ rate.
“This year marks the 35th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act and while we’ve made some progress, challenges remain and more effort is needed to ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunities in the workplace,” DiNapoli said. “Providing accommodations for workplace flexibility and encouraging employers to practice inclusive hiring can help improve employment outcomes for people with a disability. By championing inclusion, we create progress, prosperity and a stronger New York.”
According to the report, individuals with cognitive disabilities had the highest share of disabled individuals in the state’s workforce, with nearly half (48.2%) being employed. That is up 4.1% from 2019 to 2024. Those with ambulatory difficulty made up 40.6% of the workforce, down 7.8% over the last five years. Those with independent living difficulties consisted of 39.7% of the workforce, up 1.2%
Additionally, 19.3% of individuals with a disability in the workforce in the state have difficulty with their vision — up 1.9% — followed by those with difficulty taking care of one’s self (17.4%, down 1.7%) and those who have difficulty hearing (14.3%, a 1.6% decrease).
“Individuals with disabilities are a growing workforce, providing a valuable boost in human resources that employers can tap into,” the report concluded. “Leveraging existing vocational programs, improving transportation services for jobs that cannot be done remotely, informing employers about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities and facilitating increased participation in available tax savings could significantly diminish barriers to employment for people with disabilities. By championing disability inclusion, we create progress and prosperity and, ultimately, a stronger New York State.”