Resources search

Labour force statistics for people with and without disabilities are presented graphically including: 

• Unemployment rate by disability status
• Employment-to-population ratio by disability status
• Share of employed in paid employment by disability status
• Share of employed with less than primary education by disability status
• Employment-to-population ratio by disability status (men and women)

National labour force surveys (LFS) are the main source behind essential headline indicators of the labour market and the world of work. A wide range of economic and social policies, from monetary and fiscal policies to employment, decent work, vocational education and training, and a wide range of poverty reduction and social inclusion policies depend on labour force surveys as their main source of statistics for informed decision-making and monitoring.

To support countries in developing their national LFS, the ILO Department of Statistics maintains a set of model LFS resources to support PAPI and CAPI data collection. The ILO model LFS resources consolidate existing good survey practice and new approaches following evidence from ILO’s LFS testing programme to support the collection of work and labour market data, aligned with the latest international standards.

An add-on module has been introduced (July 2020) "Functional difficulties and barriers to employment" concerned with different barriers to labour market integration of persons with disabiliities.

This document brings together the technical advice of the disability team at the Gender, Equality and Diversity branch (GED) in the ILO. The information in this document is pragmatic guidance, rather than statement of institutional position. ILO positions can be found in the statements and standards that are linked to throughout

Employment quotas represent one of the most frequently used policy measures to promote work opportunities for persons with disabilities. Slightly over 100 countries around the world currently provide for employment quotas in their national legislation. While some countries have had employment quotas for many decades, others have introduced them recently, revised them or are planning to introduce them. There is no standard approach.

This document (Volume 1) summarizes published information on quota schemes, to highlight elements of existing systems that are effective in promoting employment opportunities and making recommendations for approaches to take in introducing new systems or revising existing systems. In a further publication (Volume 2), an overview is provided of quota schemes by country and the extent to which quota schemes are in place alongside anti-discrimination legislation.

Case studies from France, Germany and Japan are provided.

This is a first exercise to connect different areas of debate, looking at the key trends of the future of work from a disability perspective and seeking to identify specific action needed in order to shape the future of work in a more disability-inclusive way.

Chapters include: Work and disability - overview of current situation; megatrends of future work and persons with disability (technological revolution, skills revolution, cultutral change, demographic change and climate change); and Roadmap for an inclusive future of work.

The following five key objectives for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the future of work have been identified:

1. New forms of employment and employment relations integrate disability inclusion

2. Skills development and life-long learning made inclusive of persons with disabilities

3. Universal Design embedded in development of all new infrastructure, products and services

4. Assistive technologies, existing and newly developed, to be made affordable and available

5. Measures to include persons with disabilities in growing and developing areas of the economy

Governments, companies, disability NGOs, trade unions and academia must be encouraged to commit and contribute towards achieving these objectives through different actions. An inclusive future of work can be reached through coordination and alliances among the different stakeholders

Implementing a just transition to a low-carbon economy that aims to leave no one behind will require a context-specific and locally determined mix of legal standards, social protection, skills development and attitudinal transformation that create an enabling environment for green jobs to perpetuate and decent work opportunities for persons with disabilities to proliferate.

Presentations and discussion from the Disability-Inclusive Social Protection meeting, 8 April 2019

As a follow up to the joint statement “Towards inclusive social protection systems supporting full and effective participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities”, the new UNPRDP funded initiative co-implemented by ILO and UNICEF in close cooperation with IDA seeks to develop practical guidance for countries, development agencies and DPOs for the reform of different critical aspects of social protection systems.

A common understanding of how to approach the employment of persons with disabilities in a way that respects social justice, human rights and decent work as a key element of more inclusive economies and societies is sought. Having the employment of persons with disabilities on the G20 agenda is also a reflection of the increased attention to the rights of persons with disabilities both at a national as well as at an international level. The contribution focuses on one particular group of people with disabilities, namely those who may have been born with disabilities or may have developed some during their lives, but either way have remaining work capacities and are at working age. 

Employment-to-population ratio statistics for persons with and without disabilities are provided for some of the G20 countries. Economic and social determinants of low employment rates of people with disabilities are discussed.

Policies across G20 countries for the labour market inclusion of persons with disabilities are discussed

• demand side - promoting disability inclusion within the private and public sector
• supply side - ensuring that persons with disabilities have the skills as demanded by the labour market
• making the environment more enabling 
• mental health as a special challenge
• measurement and quality data to inform evidence-based policies

A guide to help improve business’ understanding of the rights of people with disabilities, including how to respect, support and give them an opportunity to improve their competitiveness and sustainability in alignment with relevant United Nations (UN) conventions and frameworks.

This guide is the result of an international collaborative effort spanning over 12 months. Its findings and recommendations are based on the following: desk research, a review of publically available information, literature and case studies, ongoing consultations with an international multistakeholder expert group constituted specifically to advise on and shape the development of this guide, good practice examples submitted by companies across the world to the partner organizations, and an extensive global consultation with interested businesses and other stakeholders.