nTIDE September2025 Jobs Report: Employment for people with disabilities surpasses prior high

National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) – Issued monthly by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire

2025-09-05

(Press-News.org) East Hanover, NJ – September 5, 2025 – The latest National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report shows that, in contrast to people without disabilities, the employment and labor force participation of people with disabilities of people with disabilities increased, narrowly reaching all-time highs, according to nTIDE experts. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.

Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing July 2025 to August 2025)
Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 37.0 percent in July 2025 to 38.5 percent in August 2025 (up 4.1 percent or 1.5 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 75.1 percent in July 2025 to 74.5 percent in August 2025 (down 0.8 percent or 0.6 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).

From July 2025 to August 2025, the employment-to-population ratio increased from 37 to 38.5 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 75.1 to 74.5 percent for people without disabilities. The labor force participation rate increased from 41.6 to 42.2 percent for people with disabilities and decreased from 78.5 to 77.9 percent for people without disabilities.

“The employment-to-population ratio of 38.5 percent for people with disabilities in August is a new all-time high, narrowly reaching past the all-time high of 38.3 percent seen in November 2023, May 2024, and January 2025,” according to Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SP senior vice president of grants at Kessler Foundation. “We are seeing more people with disabilities in the workplace. This increase reflects dual trends of new entrants with disabilities finding jobs and people with disabilities previously discouraged from working returning to employment,” she added.

Similarly, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 41.6 percent in July 2025 to 42.2 percent in August 2025 (up 1.4 percent or 0.6 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.5 percent in July 2025 to 77.9 percent in August 2025 (down 0.8 percent or 0.6 percentage points). The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is working or actively looking for work (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).

“Similarly, the labor force participation rate of 42.2 percent for people with disabilities in August is also an all-time high, narrowly reaching past the all-time high of 40.0 percent set in January 2025,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and director of the UNH-IOD. “It is always nice to see all-time highs in the nTIDE labor market indicators. These all-time highs are reaching just past the top of the new plateau—leveling off—we have seen since mid-2023 after the rapid growth during the post-COVID economic recovery. Keep in mind that an increase in labor force participation is a bit of a double-edge sword. More people with disabilities may be seeking work to offset increasing prices and the loss of household income, as nearly one-third of people with disabilities are living below the poverty line.

Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing August 2024 to August 2025)
When compared to the same month last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 36.4 percent in August 2024 to 38.5 percent in August 2025 (up 5.8 percent or 2.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 74.8 percent in August 2024 to 74.5 percent in August 2025 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points).

The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 40.0 percent in August 2024 to 42.2 percent in August 2025 (up 5.5 percent or 2.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate decreased from 78.2 percent in August 2024 to 77.9 percent in August 2025 (down 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points).

In August, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,653,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.4 percent of the total 151,779,000 workers in the U.S.

Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
On the same day nTIDE is issued, the team hosts an nTIDE Lunch & Learn webinar. This live Zoom broadcast gives attendees a chance to ask questions about the latest findings, hear news and updates from the field, and learn from invited panelists who discuss current disability-related research and events.

On September 5, 2025, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET, guest presenters Emily Homer and Teresa Thomas, Melwood Community Services, join Dr. Houtenville, Elaine Katz, and Denise Rozell, director of policy innovation at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.

About National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE)
nTIDE is a joint effort of Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. The nTIDE team tracks employment trends for people with and without disabilities, issuing monthly reports that reflect the impact of economic changes on the workforce. These reports use data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) but are customized by UNH-IOD to focus on working-age adults (ages 16–64).

nTIDE is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler Foundation.

About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. For information on the Institute’s NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC), visit researchondisability.org.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, founded in 1985, is a New Jersey-based nonprofit and global leader in rehabilitation research committed to changing the lives of people with disabilities. By conducting groundbreaking research, Kessler Foundation advances recovery and fosters independence to build a more inclusive and accessible world.

Our team of award-winning scientists develop and test novel interventions to transform care and optimize mobility, cognition, and quality of life for people with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, and other neurological and developmental disabilities. By analyzing community and workforce participation, developing evidence-based solutions, and funding impactful community initiatives that expand employment opportunities, Kessler Foundation also addresses barriers to inclusion for people with disabilities.

Powered by a dedicated team of over 200 professionals funded by federal and state grants and private philanthropy, Kessler Foundation is redefining what is possible in rehabilitation care and recovery. For more information, visit kesslerfoundation.org.

Press Contact at Kessler Foundation:
Carmen Cusido, ccusido@kesslerfoundation.org

Stay Connected with Kessler Foundation
X | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | SoundCloud

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

When getting a job makes you go hungry

2025-09-05

Key points: Utah refugees face very high levels of food insecurity. Food insecurity spikes when refugees become ineligible for food assistance. Proposed solutions include improving education about resources and increasing access to gardens. IMPACT: Timely interventions to reduce food insecurity could benefit health and save the U.S. healthcare system billions. Three months ago, you left your country fearing for your life. Now, you’re learning to navigate a new city, where the street signs are in a new language. You’re ...

Good vibrations could revolutionize assisted reproductive technology

2025-09-05

ITHACA, N.Y. – In the quest to address infertility, Cornell University researchers have developed a groundbreaking device that could simplify and automate oocyte cumulus removal, a critical step in assisted reproductive technologies. Their vibration-powered chip not only simplifies a complex procedure but also extends it to areas of the world lacking skilled embryologists or well-funded labs—reducing overall costs. This offers hope to millions of couples struggling with infertility – and makes fertility treatments more accessible worldwide. “This ...

More scrutiny of domestic fishing fleets at ports could help deter illegal fishing

2025-09-05

Embargoed: Not for Release Until 2:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time Friday, 05 September 2025 In brief: Countries that have ratified the Port State Measures Agreement, which entered into force in 2016, are required to designate certain ports for foreign vessels to land their fish and undergo standardized inspections to identify illegal catches. As more countries adopted the internationally binding agreement between 2016 and 2021, the distance that foreign fishing vessels needed to travel to reach a port within a country that had not ratified the treaty doubled. Domestic fishing ...

Scientists transform plastic waste into efficient CO2 capture materials

2025-09-05

Scientists transform plastic waste into efficient CO2 capture materials From waste to valuable resource: Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method to convert plastic waste into a climate solution for efficient and sustainable CO2 capture. This is killing two birds with one stone as they address two of the world’s biggest challenges: plastic pollution and the climate crisis. As CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere keep rising regardless of years of political intentions to limit emissions, the world’s ...

Discovery of North America’s role in Asia’s monsoons offers new insights into climate change

2025-09-05

The study, published today (5 September) in the journal Science Advances, indicates how the heating in North America can trigger remote effects in Asia – this could be further exacerbated by anthropogenic global warming and human modification of the North American land surface. The authors of the study say their findings emphasise the importance of global cooperation in addressing climate change. Using climate models, scientists from the University of Bristol and the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP) from the Chinese Academy of Sciences ...

MD Anderson and Phoenix SENOLYTIX announce strategic cross-licensing agreement to enhance inducible switch technologies for cell and gene therapies

2025-09-05

Agreement focuses on rimiducid, an agent used to activate certain safety switch technologies in cell therapies Phoenix receives a supply of rimiducid and support to seek regulatory approval of a new proprietary injectable formulation, retaining exclusive rights for use in its novel in vivo gene therapy programs MD Anderson receives rights to the new formulation of rimiducid for use with its inducible switches exclusively in ex vivo cell therapies Collaborators hope to use these tools to further enhance cell and gene therapies HOUSTON and MIAMI, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Phoenix SENOLYTIX, Inc., today announced ...

Researchers discover massive geo-hydrogen source to the west of the Mussau Trench

2025-09-05

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the solar system. As a source of clean energy, hydrogen is well-suited for sustainable development, and Earth is a natural hydrogen factory. However, most hydrogen vents reported to date are small, and the geological processes responsible for hydrogen formation—as well as the quantities that can be preserved in geological settings—remain unclear. To better understand the availability of geological hydrogen, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) and their collaborators discovered and analyzed a large pipe swarm—a ...

Even untouched ecosystems are losing insects at alarming rates, new study finds

2025-09-05

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that insect populations are rapidly declining even in relatively undisturbed landscapes, raising concerns about the health of ecosystems that depend on them. Keith Sockman, associate professor of biology at UNC-Chapel Hill, quantified the abundance of flying insects during 15 seasons between 2004 and 2024 on a subalpine meadow in Colorado, a site with 38 years of weather data and minimal direct human impact. He discovered an average annual decline of 6.6% in insect abundance, amounting to a ...

Adaptive visible-infrared camouflage with wide-range radiation control for extreme ambient temperatures

2025-09-05

Breaking free from spectral limits From thermal cameras to multispectral sensors, modern surveillance technologies are increasingly difficult to evade, creating urgent demand for camouflage that adapts across both visible and infrared bands. Yet progress has long been constrained by three persistent challenges: the tight coupling between visible color shifts and infrared emissivity, which forces trade-offs; the limited thermal modulation range of existing devices, typically <15 °C and insufficient for extreme environments such as deserts with >60 °C swings; and scalability constraints, with most prototypes restricted ...

MD Anderson research highlights for September 5, 2025

2025-09-05

MD Anderson Research Highlights for September 5, 2025 Clinical trials show promising results in treating pancreatic and colorectal cancers New treatment strategies improve outcomes for patients with kidney and testicular cancers Novel research techniques enable advances in gene-drug interactions, breast cancer progression, and identifying pre-cancerous lesions Biomarkers help predict risk for oral cancer metastasis HOUSTON, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research ...

nTIDE September2025 Jobs Report: Employment for people with disabilities surpasses prior high

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: