ONS: One in four workers is now classified as disabled

According to the latest statistics, nearly one-fourth of people in working age is classified as disabled.

Office for National Statistics figures also show that the number reporting a long term health condition, and those classified as disabled have continued to increase.

Employment of Disabled People 2024 concluded that the increase in disability prevalence was associated with an increased number of people reporting mental illnesses and “other health problems or disabilites”.

The ONS also noted that nearly one third of people who were classified as disabled in one year no longer fell into this category the following year.

ONS reported that the disability employment gap is wider for men, older people (aged between 50 and 64), those without qualifications, those living in social housing and not in a relationship, as well as people who live in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the North of England.

It added that the disability employment rate was lower for people with disabilities who have a mental illness and at least five other health conditions.

The study found that disabled people are more likely to work in the health care, retail, and education sectors, in occupations with lower skill levels, as self-employed, and part-time.

These people are more likely to work in the public sector (or in a workplace with fewer 50 employees), be underemployed or on a zero-hour contract, have fewer career options, be in a position with lower pay, be in a role that is less employee-focused, and score lower in their average wellbeing.

In general, people with disabilities are more likely to be economically unemployed. The majority of those who were inactive cited ‘long-term illness’ as the main reason.

The ONS reported that they were more likely to want a new job than nondisabled individuals, but were less likely to have held a position in the past two years.

The ONS, however, said that despite these underlying trends, there is a positive trend in the direction of the employment gap for people with disabilities.

The general trend of disability employment has been “positive” since 2013 until the start date of the pandemic or March 2020.

The report stated that “there had been a strong growth in both the number of and the rate of people with disabilities in employment, and a narrowing gap between the rates of disabled and nondisabled individuals in employment” (the disability employment gaps).

Initially, the pandemic reversed this trend. Now things are returning to normal. In the UK, there were approximately 5.5 million people with disabilities employed in the second quarter 2024. This is an increase of 310.000 over the previous year.

The ONS stated that “the increasing number of people with disabilities in employment between 2013 and 2024 was driven by four major components: disability prevalence (60%) disability employment gap (20%), non-disabled unemployment rate (20%) and an increase in the population of working age (5 %),”.