Disability employment rate surpassed 50% last year, figures show

The employment rate for disabled workers in Scotland has reached more than 50% for the first time in eight years.

An estimated 436,400 disabled people between the ages of 16 and 64 were in employment in 2022, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The employment rate was therefore 50.7%, up from 49.6% the previous year.

It means a Scottish Government target to increase the disability employment rate to 50% by 2023 has been met a year early, with Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray praising the “significant progress” towards an inclusive workforce.

However, the disability employment gap – the difference in workforce rates between the disabled and non-disabled – remains significant, with 82.5% of workers without a disability in employment.

It puts the disability employment rate gap at 31.9% for 2022, slightly increasing from 31.2% the previous year.

Recent data shows men are more impacted by the employment gap than women, at 35.9% and 28.2% respectively.

However, since 2016, the gap has decreased by 5.5 percentage points from 37.4%.

The data also shows that disabled people are more likely to work part-time, be in contractually insecure work, and be underemployed in 2022 compared to their non-disabled counterparts.

Mr Gray said: “This confirms significant progress is being made to ensure fairer and more inclusive workplaces across Scotland, building on our ambition to at least halve the disability employment gap by 2038.

“Our tailored pre-employment and in-work support are helping disabled people get into and remain in work.

“A key Scottish Government target was to increase the employment rate of disabled people to 50% by 2023. The rate reached 50.7% in 2022 – meeting this milestone a year early.

“There is no place for discrimination in society, including workplaces, and we will continue to work closely with disabled people, their representative organisations and employers so their voices and experiences help shape policy and further action to continue closing the disability employment gap in Scotland.”