Last reviewed: 22 June 2022
Employment statistics
Statistic one
In the UK, half of disabled people are in employment (53.2 per cent) compared to four fifths of non-disabled people (81.8 per cent).
Source: ONS.
Statistic two
Women with learning disabilities are the least likely of any group of disabled people to be in employment – only 5.2 per cent, compared with 6.6 per cent of men with learning disabilities.
Source: Public Health England, People with Learning Disabilities in England.
Statistic three
Only half of job applications by disabled people led to an interview, compared to 69 per cent for non-disabled people.
Source: Scope / Opinium research, 2017.
Statistic four
24 per cent of employers said they would be less likely to employ someone if they knew they had a disability.
Source: Leonard Cheshire, Reimagining the workplace, p. 10.
Statistic five
11 per cent of jobs are advertised as being flexible – but 87 per cent of the general population want to work flexibly.
Source: Leonard Cheshire, Reimagining the workplace, p. 12.
Statistic six
Disabled men are more likely to be unemployed than disabled women, but disabled women are more likely to face a pay gap.
Source: ONS.
Employers’ attitudes
Statistic one
Disabled people have to apply for 60 per cent more jobs than non-disabled people before securing employment.
Source: Leonard Cheshire, Reimagining the workplace, p. 14.
Statistic two
38 per cent of employers said that ensuring the application process is accessible is a barrier to employing them.
Source: Leonard Cheshire, Reimagining the workplace, p. 10.
Statistic three
Nearly half (46 per cent) of employers report employing no disabled people in their organisation.
Source: Leonard Cheshire / ComREs, Disability Employers Survey W2.
Statistic four
Most recruitment processes take place on line, but 22 per cent of disabled people have never used the internet.
Source: Leonard Cheshire, Reimagining the workplace, p. 11 / ONS 2017 Office for National Statistics, Internet users in the UK: 2017 (May 2017).
Disabled applicants’ concerns
Statistic one
Over one third (38 per cent) of disabled people are worried they will be seen as a ‘risky hire’ because of their disability.
Source: Scope / Opinium research, 2017.
Statistic two
More than half of disabled people have applied for a job they’re overqualified for because they feel their disability makes them less attractive to employers.
Source: Scope / Opinium research, 2017.
Statistic three
Two thirds (64 per cent) of disabled adults are concerned that if they mention their condition on their CV or application or at interview, it will negatively affect their chance of getting a job.
Source: Leonard Cheshire / ComRes, Leoonard Cheshire Disability and employment Survey 2015.
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