The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a new report highlighting significant employment challenges for people with disabilities, including higher unemployment rates, lower earnings, and a greater likelihood of self-employment.
According to the report, individuals with disabilities are less likely to participate in the labor market and, when they do, they often earn less than their non-disabled peers.
On average, people with disabilities earn 12% less per hour, with 9% of this wage gap unexplained by factors like education or type of work. In low and lower-middle-income countries, the wage gap is even more pronounced at 26%.
I LO pointed out that the situation is particularly dire for women with disabilities, who face an additional gender pay gap compared to men with disabilities—6% in developed countries and 5% in developing countries.
With an estimated 1.3 billion people globally experiencing significant disability, the ILO report underscores the need for greater efforts to improve labor market participation for this group.
The report suggests measures such as making online recruitment more accessible, providing greater support to employers to encourage the hiring of disabled workers, and ensuring appropriate workplace adaptations.
