Question reference: S5W-30248
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 25 June 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the employment rate for disabled people has been in each of the last five years.
Answer
In Scotland, as in the wider UK, the employment rate of disabled people has consistently been much lower than that of non-disabled people. However, it has shown steady growth since 2014, increasing by 7.5 percentage points (p.p.) between 2014 and 2019 from 41.5% to 49.0%.
Table 1 shows the employment rate of disabled people in Scotland from 2014 – 2019. Data for January – December 2020 will be released in 2021.
Table 1: Employment Rate (%, 16-64) of Disabled People, Scotland, 2014-2019 | |
2014 | 41.5 |
2015 | 41.9 |
2016 | 42.8 |
2017 | 45.3 |
2018 | 45.6 |
2019 | 49.0 |
Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey, Jan-Dec data | |
The long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the labour market are not yet known, but we will monitor any changes in disabled people’s employment rate, and ensure the economic response considers the needs of those already facing barriers in the labour market.