Persons with a Disability: Barriers to Employment and Other Labor-Related Issues News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, September 30, 2025 		                    USDL-25-1485

Technical information:  (202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps 
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


             PEOPLE WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS OR DIFFICULTIES THAT LIMIT WORK -- JULY 2024


In July 2024, 30.7 million people ages 16 to 75 had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty,
accounting for 12.4 percent of the total civilian noninstitutional population in this age group,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The most common health condition or difficulty
was a mobility impairment. Workers with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty were
significantly more likely to face challenges that made it difficult to do their current job compared
with workers who had no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. Nearly one-third of
employed individuals with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty requested or made changes
to help do their job better. 

This information was obtained from the July 2024 Disability Supplement to the Current Population
Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment
and unemployment in the United States. The July 2024 supplement, sponsored by the U.S. Department
of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and Chief Evaluation Office (CEO),
collected information about people ages 16 to 75 with a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty, changes workers requested or made to do their job better, and challenges in finding
and maintaining employment. 

This news release focuses on people ages 16 to 75 who have a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty. This new CPS concept was collected as a part of the July 2024 Disability Supplement.
Results also are presented for people who have a disability, which is an independently measured
CPS concept that focuses on functional limitations. For more information, see the Technical Note.

Demographic Characteristics of People with a Work-Limiting Health Condition or Difficulty 

In July 2024, 30.7 million people in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 to 75 had a
work-limiting health condition or difficulty, representing 12.4 percent of the population in this
age group. Of those with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, about one-half had a
disability (15.8 million). (See table 1.)

The likelihood of having a work-limiting health condition or difficulty increased with age. For
example, 5.8 percent of people ages 16 to 24 had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty,
compared with 19.2 percent of those ages 55 to 64 and 24.9 percent of those ages 65 to 75. (See
table 3.) As a result, people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty tend to be older
than those with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. Thirty-one percent of people
with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty were ages 65 to 75, whereas 13 percent of
people with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties were ages 65 to 75. (See table 1.)

Women (12.8 percent) were slightly more likely than men (12.1 percent) to have a work-limiting
health condition or difficulty. This difference may reflect the older age profile of women. 

The likelihood of having a work-limiting health condition or difficulty was highest for those with
lower levels of educational attainment in July 2024. For example, among people ages 25 to 75, about
1 in 4 people (24.9 percent) with less than a high school diploma had a work-limiting health
condition or difficulty compared with about 1 in 15 (6.7 percent) of those with a bachelor's
degree and higher. Overall, people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty had lower
levels of educational attainment, on average, when compared to people with no work-limiting health
conditions or difficulties. Among people ages 25 to 75, 14 percent of those who had a work-limiting
health condition or difficulty had less than a high school diploma, compared with 7 percent of
those with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. Additionally, 20 percent of people
ages 25 to 75 with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty held a bachelor's degree and 
higher, compared with 43 percent of those with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties.
(Educational attainment data pertain to people age 25 and over because most people have completed
their schooling by age 25.)

Duration of Work-Limiting Health Conditions or Difficulties 

In July 2024, 10.5 percent (25.9 million people) of the civilian noninstitutional population ages
16 to 75 had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty that was expected to last more than 3
months. (See table 3.)

The likelihood of having a long-term work-limiting health condition or difficulty increases with
age. In July 2024, 4.8 percent of those ages 16 to 24 had a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty that was expected to last more than 3 months, compared with 21.2 percent of those ages
65 to 75. 

People who had higher levels of educational attainment were less likely to have a work-limiting
health condition or difficulty that was expected to last more than 3 months. Among people ages 25
to 75, 5.7 percent of those with a bachelor's degree and higher had a long-term work-limiting
health condition or difficulty, compared with 21.0 percent of those with less than a high school
diploma.

People whose work-limiting health condition or difficulty was expected to last more than 3 months
represented 84.5 percent of all individuals ages 16 to 75 with a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty. Among people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, those with a
disability were more likely to have a health condition or difficulty expected to last longer than
3 months than were people with no disability (87.0 percent versus 82.0 percent).

Labor Force Characteristics of People with a Work-Limiting Health Condition or Difficulty 

Among those ages 16 to 75, the labor force participation rate--the percentage of the population that
is either working or actively looking for work--for people with a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty was much lower than for those with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties.
Among people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, 27.1 percent participated in the
labor force in July 2024, compared with 74.7 percent of people with no work-limiting health
conditions or difficulties. This difference occurred among men and women and persisted across all
age groups and by educational attainment. Among those with a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty, people who had a disability were less likely to participate in the labor force, at 17.8
percent, compared with 37.1 percent for those who did not have a disability. (See table 1.)

The employment-population ratio--the percentage of the population that is employed--was much lower
among people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty compared with those who had no
work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. Similarly, the difference occurred among men and
women and persisted across all age groups and by educational attainment. In July 2024, the
employment-population ratio for people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty was 24.3
percent, approximately one-third of the ratio for those with no such conditions (71.4 percent).
This disparity is partly due to the older age profile of people with a work-limiting health
condition or difficulty. 

For people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, those with a disability were about
half as likely to be employed (16.1 percent) as were those with no disability (33.0 percent). 

For all groups, the unemployment rates were much higher among people with a work-limiting health
condition or difficulty compared with those who had no work-limiting health conditions or
difficulties. In July 2024, the jobless rate for those with a work-limiting health condition or
difficulty was 10.5 percent, compared with 4.3 percent for people with no work-limiting health
conditions or difficulties. 

Types of Work-Limiting Health Conditions or Difficulties 

Among the population ages 16 to 75, 12.4 percent had at least one health condition or difficulty
that limited their work in July 2024. The most common work-limiting health condition or difficulty
was a mobility impairment (5.3 percent). Other types include a mental health condition (1.4
percent); cognitive, intellectual, or learning disability (1.0 percent); visual or hearing
impairment (0.6 percent); and some other health condition or difficulty (3.6 percent). Examples
of other health conditions or difficulties include heart problems, asthma, diabetes, or autoimmune
diseases. (See table 2.)

Among the employed ages 16 to 75, 4.6 percent had at least one health condition or difficulty that
limited their work. In July 2024, the most common work-limiting health conditions or difficulties
among workers were mobility impairments (1.8 percent) and other health conditions or difficulties
(1.7 percent). By contrast, visual or hearing impairments (0.2 percent) and cognitive, intellectual,
or learning disabilities (0.3 percent) were the least prevalent health conditions or difficulties
that most limited work. 

For people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, the likelihood of being employed
varied by the type of condition or difficulty. In July 2024, about 22 percent of those with a
mobility impairment were employed; along with 23 percent of those with a cognitive, intellectual,
or learning disability; 23 percent of those with a mental health condition; 27 percent of those
with a visual or hearing impairment; and 30 percent of those with some other health condition or
difficulty.

Changes Workers Requested or Made to Do Their Job Better

In July 2024, 7.6 million employed people ages 16 to 75 had ever requested or made a change in
their current job to help them do it better, regardless of the presence of a work-limiting health
condition or difficulty, representing 4.7 percent of the employed in that age group. The likelihood
of requesting or making changes varied by class of worker, with self-employed workers more likely
to make a change to do their job better (10.4 percent) compared with wage and salary workers
requesting a change (4.1 percent). (See table 4.)

In July 2024, 31.8 percent of workers with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty had ever
requested or made a change to help do their current job better, compared with 3.4 percent of
employed individuals with no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. The share of workers
with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty who requested or made a change to help do their
job better was higher for those with a disability (35.5 percent) than for those with no disability
(29.8 percent).

Among those with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, the most common changes requested
or made were related to their work schedule (47.8 percent), work tasks (36.0 percent), telework
(17.8 percent), and getting new or modified equipment (16.7 percent). The changes that were least
requested or made included increased accessibility to workplace or building facilities (2.0
percent) and arranging special transportation (2.2 percent). (See table 5.)

There were notable differences in the types of changes requested or made by men and women with a
work-limiting health condition or difficulty. Men were more likely to request training to learn new
job skills compared with women (8.1 percent of men compared with 3.7 percent of women), whereas
women were more likely to request or make a change to work from home compared with men (24.8
percent of women compared with 10.5 percent of men). 

Among all wage and salary workers regardless of the presence of a work-limiting health condition
or difficulty, the most frequently requested changes were to their work schedule, getting new or
modified equipment, and changes to their work tasks. The majority of these requests were granted by
their employers. Among workers who requested a change in their schedule, 70.1 percent of these
requests were fully granted, 21.9 percent were partially granted, and 7.5 percent were not granted.
Among those who requested new or modified equipment, 67.8 percent of these requests were fully
granted, 17.3 percent were partially granted, and 14.0 percent were not granted. About two-thirds
(66.0 percent) of those who requested changes to their work tasks had their request fully granted,
23.3 percent were partially granted, and 10.3 percent were not granted. (See table 6.)

Challenges Workers Face Doing their Job 

In July 2024, employed people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty were more likely
to face challenges that made it difficult to do their current job (39.4 percent) than were those
who had no work-limiting health conditions or difficulties (1.6 percent). Among those with a work-
limiting health condition or difficulty, people with a disability were more likely to face 
challenges (45.5 percent) than were those with no disability (36.2 percent). (See table 7.)

Technical Note

The data in this news release were collected through a supplement to the July 2024 Current Population
Survey (CPS). The CPS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), is a monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides information on the labor
force status, demographics, and other characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional population
age 16 and over. The supplement was designed to gather data in several specific areas related to the
employment situation of people ages 16 to 75 with and without disabilities and with and without 
work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. The collection and publication of these data were
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Office and the U.S. Department of Labor’s 
Office of Disability Employment Policy.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access 
telecommunications relay services.

Definitions and concepts from the CPS

Disability status. The CPS uses a set of six questions to identify people with disabilities. In the
CPS, people are classified as having a disability if there is a response of "yes" to any of these
questions. People who respond "no" to all of these questions are classified as having no disability.
The disability questions are as follows.

This month we want to learn about people who have physical, mental, or emotional conditions that 
cause serious difficulty with their daily activities. Please answer for all household members who
are 15 years old or over. 

 --Is anyone deaf or does anyone have serious difficulty hearing?

 --Is anyone blind or does anyone have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?

 --Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does anyone have serious difficulty
   concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?

 --Does anyone have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?

 --Does anyone have difficulty dressing or bathing?

 --Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does anyone have difficulty doing errands
   alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping?

The CPS questions for identifying individuals with disabilities are only asked of household members
who are age 15 and older. Each of the questions asks the respondent whether anyone in the household has
the condition described, and if the respondent replies "yes," they are then asked to identify everyone in
the household who has the condition. More information on the disability questions and the merits and
limitations of the CPS disability data is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability_faq.htm.

Labor force status. Employed people are all those who, during the survey reference week, (a) did any work
at all as paid employees; (b) worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm; or (c) worked
15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family member’s business. People who were temporarily absent from
their jobs because of illness, vacation, labor dispute, or another reason also are counted as employed.

Unemployed people are those who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work at that
time, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the 
reference week. People who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need
not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

Civilian labor force comprises all people classified as employed or unemployed.
Unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed people as a percent of the civilian labor force.
Not in the labor force includes all people who are not classified as employed or unemployed.
Not employed includes people who were unemployed or not in the labor force. 

Additional information on the concepts and methodology of the CPS is available on the BLS website
at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm.

Selected questions and concepts from the supplement

The supplement questions were asked of people ages 16 to 75.

Work-limiting health condition or difficulty. This information was obtained from responses to one
of two questions. One question was asked of employed people and the other of people who were not
employed (that is, either unemployed or not in the labor force). Both of these questions were 
introduced with the statement: This month we would like to learn more about how people in different
circumstances deal with work-related challenges.

People who were employed were asked:
  Do you have a health condition or difficulty that limits the kind or amount of paid work you could do?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No  

People who were not employed were asked:
  Although you are not currently working, do you have a health condition or difficulty that limits the
  kind or amount of paid work you could do?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No  

Type of condition or difficulty. People with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty were
asked for more detail about their condition. 

  Which of the following most limits the kind or amount of paid work you could do? (Select all that apply.)
	1.	A visual or hearing impairment
	2.	A mobility impairment
	3.	A mental health condition
	4.	A cognitive, intellectual, or learning disability
	5.	Other health condition or difficulty

People who indicated they did not have a work-limiting health condition or difficulty but who had been 
identified as having a disability by the CPS questions were asked a similar question.

  You indicated that you have difficulty in [followed by their specific disabilities: hearing; seeing;
  concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; walking or climbing stairs; dressing or bathing;
  and doing errands alone]. Which of the following causes you the most difficulty? (Select all that apply.)
	1.	A visual or hearing impairment
	2.	A mobility impairment
	3.	A mental health condition
	4.	A cognitive, intellectual, or learning disability
	5.	Other health condition or difficulty

When people reported more than one health condition or difficulty, they were asked a follow-up question
to identify the most-limiting health condition or difficulty. If respondents were unable to
decide on only one health condition or difficulty or said they were all equally limiting, the interviewer
selected option 6, “Cannot decide, all equal.” This option was not read aloud to respondents.

  Of the categories you just selected, which one most limits the kind or amount of paid work you could do? 
	1.	A visual or hearing impairment
	2.	A mobility impairment
	3.	A mental health condition
	4.	A cognitive, intellectual, or learning disability
	5.	Other health condition or difficulty
	6.	Cannot decide, all equal

As needed, interviewers provided clarifying information or examples for each type of condition,
such as: a visual or hearing impairment (deaf or serious difficulty hearing, blind or serious
difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses); a mobility impairment (missing limbs, paralysis,
osteoarthritis, spina bifida, or scoliosis); a mental health condition (depression, anxiety, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder); a cognitive, intellectual, or learning
disability (down syndrome, a speech impairment, cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, 
autism or autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease); and other 
health conditions or difficulties (heart problems, asthma, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases).

An important caveat to any data collected using these questions is that they refer to people’s
subjective perception of the condition that limits their work or causes difficulty. Their 
responses may not necessarily align with a medical professional’s diagnosis of the same condition. 

Duration of health condition or difficulty. People with a work-limiting health condition or 
difficulty and/or a disability were asked whether the health condition or difficulty was 
expected to last more than 3 months. This information was obtained from one of two questions.

If the person selected only one condition or difficulty:
  Is this health condition or difficulty a temporary one that is expected to last for less
  than three months?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No

If the person selected more than one condition or difficulty:
  Are any of these health conditions or difficulties expected to last for more than three months?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No

Requested or made a change to help do their job better. All employed people were asked about 
changes they have ever requested or made to help do their current or main job better. For
single jobholders, the question referenced their current job; for multiple jobholders, the 
question referenced their main job. The wording of these questions varied slightly depending
on their class of worker status.

Wage and salary workers, unpaid workers in a family business, and those whose class of worker
status was unknown were asked the following questions: 

  Have you ever requested any change in your current/main job to help do your job better? 
  For example, changes in work tasks, equipment, or schedule.
	1.	Yes
	2.	No

  What changes did you request?
	1.	Changes in schedule
	2.	Changes in work tasks
	3.	Training to learn new job skills
	4.	Working from home (also known as telework)
	5.	Increased access to workplace or building facilities
	6.	Getting new or modified equipment
	7.	Arranging special transportation
	8.	Other changes

The following question was asked about each change that was requested:

  Was the request for [followed by their specific job-related change request: changes in schedule,
  changes in work tasks, training to learn new job skills, working from home, increased access to
  workplace or building facilities, getting new or modified equipment, arranging special 
  transportation, or other changes] granted fully, partially, or not at all?
	1.	Yes, fully
	2.	Yes, partially
	3.	Not at all

Self-employed workers were asked similar questions:

  Have you ever made any change in your current/main job to help do your job better? For example,
  changes in work tasks, equipment, or schedule?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No

  What changes did you make?
	1.	Changes in schedule
	2.	Changes in work tasks
	3.	Training to learn new job skills
	4.	Working from home (also known as telework)
	5.	Increased access to workplace or building facilities
	6.	Getting new or modified equipment
	7.	Arranging special transportation
	8.	Other changes

Job-related challenges. Employed people were asked about job-related challenges. 

  Are you facing challenges that make it difficult for you to do your job?
	1.	Yes
	2.	No

Other questions. Some questions that were asked in the July 2024 Disability Supplement
were collected at the request of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability
Employment Policy and are not included in BLS analysis presented in this news release. They
include topics such as autism spectrum disorder, long-term COVID-19, difficulties finding a job,
and specific job-related challenges.

Comparability of the estimates

Estimates presented in this news release are not strictly comparable with those from earlier
Disability Supplements because they are derived from a redesigned questionnaire. The July 2024
Disability Supplement was asked only of people ages 16 to 75, whereas prior supplements were
asked of those ages 15 and over. Additionally, there were changes to the questions included in
the July 2024 Disability Supplement. 

New questions were added to the July 2024 supplement. They included questions to identify 
individuals with work-limiting health conditions or difficulties. People with work-limiting
health conditions or difficulties and/or disabilities were asked about the type of condition
or difficulty. Questions also were asked to determine if work-limiting health conditions or
difficulties were expected to last longer than 3 months. These concepts were not included in 
previous supplements.

The July 2024 Disability Supplement continued to include questions about requested changes
in the workplace; however, these estimates are not comparable to estimates from prior 
Disability Supplements because the question wording and response options differed. Questions
about participation in specific assistance programs, the receipt of financial assistance,
working from home, and others that were last collected in the July 2021 supplement were not
included in the July 2024 supplement. 

Additional issues exist that could affect the comparability of the estimates from previous
years. For example, changes in the demographic characteristics of people with disabilities
can complicate comparisons of data over time. In addition, the 2012 supplement was collected
in May, and the more recent supplements were collected in July.

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample,
rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates 
may differ from the true population values they represent. The component of this difference 
that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, and its variability
is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or 
level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard
errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.

The monthly CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for
many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain
information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to 
provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
General information on the reliability of data from the CPS is available at
www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.