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October 1994

Labor force trends of persons with and without disabilities

Edward H. Yelin, Patricia P. Katz

Trends in labor force participation rates of persons with disabilities follow closely those of persons of the same age and sex who are free of disabilities; in both groups, women fared better than men in the 1970-92 period. This article describes trends in the participation of persons with and without disabilities in the 23 years culminating in 1992, a period preceding the energy crises of the 1970's and encompassing several complete economic cycles. The article then demonstrates that these trends are tied both to the rising participation of women in the labor market and to short-term fluctuations due to economic cycles.

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