Archive:Disability statistics - labour market access
This article is part of the set of articles on Disability that provides information on persons that have basic activity difficulties and/or a longstanding health problem that are causing work limitations. The information is based on the data of the 2011 ad-hoc module of the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS-AHM). It offers an overview of the access to the labour market of these persons and is limited to the population of working age, i.e. between 15 and 64 years old. Apart from information on the EU-28 and its individual Member States, data for Turkey, Iceland and Switzerland are also included.
Different aspects linked to the labour market are addressed, such as employment and unemployment rates, inactive persons, temporary work, reasons for not seeking employment and reasons for leaving the last job. Results presented in this article have been compiled according to two definitions of disability, as follows.
- Definition 1: Persons having a basic activity difficulty (such as seeing, hearing, walking, communicating);
- Definition 2: Persons limited in work because of a longstanding health problem and/or a basic activity difficulty (LHPAD).
Main statistical findings
EU-28 employment rate of 47.3% for persons with basic activity difficulties
According to the first definition, the employment rate, of persons with basic activity difficulties in the EU-28 in 2011 reached 47.3% (see Figure 1), almost 20 percentage points below that of persons without difficulties. At country level, the highest gap in terms of employment rate was observed for the Netherlands and Hungary with a difference of more than 37 percentage points between both groups. Employment rates of 42.7% and 80.1% were reported for persons with and without basic activity difficulties in the Netherlands and of 23.7% and 61.1% for the respective categories for Hungary. This contrasts sharply with the situation in Luxembourg, where the smallest variation was observed: 2.4 percentage points.
As the second definition considers persons limited with their work activities by a LHPAD, the employment rate recorded at EU-28 level for this category is unsurprisingly low, with a figure of 38.1% at the level of the EU-28 which represents nearly 30 percentage points less compared to persons that did not declare a work limitation.
This general picture is also observed in the individual countries. Moreover, a number of the EU Member States displayed differences of more than 40 percentage points in term of employment rate between persons with and without work limitations (United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, the Netherlands, Hungary and Bulgaria). At the other end of the scale, France reported the lowest difference with 8.4 percentage points.
Looking beyond the borders of the European Union and irrespective of the definition considered, the highest employment rates are reported for Switzerland and Iceland.
Lower impact of LHPAD on the unemployment in Greece and Turkey
The unemployment rate of persons with basic activity difficulties (Definition 1) in the EU-28 countries reached 12.1% in 2011 (see Table 1). This is 2.5 percentage points more compared with persons without difficulties. At country level, the highest gap is observed in Hungary and Czech Republic with more than 9 percentage points. The opposite situation was noted in Turkey, Luxembourg and Greece, where the unemployment rate among persons with no difficulties was actually higher than those with difficulties. Indeed, unemployment rates of 7.5% and 8.9% for those with and without difficulties were recorded for Turkey, 4.9% and 5.3% in Luxembourg and 14.6% and 16.7% in Greece, for the respective categories.
When the second definition is considered, the unemployment rate for people limited in work because of LHPAD reached 17.4% at the level of the EU-28 level in 2011, against 9.4% for the group without health problems or activity difficulties whatsoever. Here, the highest gaps at country level (exceeding 14 percentage points) were observed for Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany and Estonia. As already noted with the first definition, Turkey and Greece displayed unemployment rates lower among persons with work limitations.
More than half of the working age population with limitations in work caused by a LHPAD in the EU-28 were inactive
Whatever definition considered, the highest proportions of inactive persons with disabilities were observed in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Ireland; while the lowest proportions were noted for Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden (see Figure 2).
In 14 countries, more than 50% of the persons with basic activities difficulties were inactive in 2011 (see Figure 2). This share was attained for a total of 22 countries when analysing the second definition. Nevertheless, this general situation does not hold for Iceland and particularly France, where the proportion of inactive persons was higher for persons with basic activity difficulties only. In Iceland, the gap was limited to only 1.9 percentage points, but in France a difference of 10.5 percentage points was noted.
Temporary employment: EU average masks differences at country level
The following section is limited to the employees (i.e. excluding self-employed) and looks at the share of temporary employment among the employees with and without work limitations.
Within the category of employees not having a basic activity difficulty, 13.9% had temporary employment, while in the case of those with a basic activity difficulty, the corresponding proportion is lower by 2.4 percentage points, i.e. 11.5% (see Table 2). In two-thirds of the countries, a similar situation was observed, i.e. persons with a basic activity difficulty were slightly less likely to have a temporary employment. However, especially in Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary and foremost Turkey, the opposite situation was prevalent.
According to the second definition, a more contrasted pattern was observed. Even if the share of temporary employees at EU-28 level is strictly the same (13.7% for both groups), two equally large country groups displayed inversed images. The largest difference was observed for Turkey where nearly a quarter (24.2%) of temporary workers had a work limitation caused by a LHPAD, whereas the share among those not declaring either of these work limitations was 12.2%. An opposition situation is shown for Cyprus, but in this case the figure should be considered cautiously, as it is unreliable (flagged “u” in Table 2) due to the small sample size.
Own illness or disability: major reason for not seeking employment by disabled people
Among the inactive disabled population aged 15 to 64, an illness or disability was the main reason stated for not seeking employment (see Figure 3). This reason was most frequently mentioned by persons of the 25-54 age class (data not shown).
For persons without disabilities, the main reason mentioned was “education or training”, which appears normal, especially for the lower end of the age group 15-64 years old. The second most frequently stated reason declared by all inactive people (both disabled and not disabled) was retirement. Here, the focus is obviously at the upper end of the age range.
At the country level (data not shown) more particular patterns were observed: among persons with work limitations, the most frequently mentioned reason in Sweden after “own illness or disability” was “education and training” (around 20%). In Spain and Cyprus, the second most often stated reason was “other family or personal responsibilities” (17% and 18%, respectively). The latter reason came top on the list in Turkey, and this by a large margin as it was stated by more than half (between 51% and 54%) of all respondents (having a disability or not, whatever the definition considered).
A majority of the not employed disabled persons left their last job due to their health problem or disability
In 2011, at the EU-28 level, for more than 30% of the disabled persons who were not employed but have worked previously, the main reason for leaving the last job was “own illness or disability” (see Figure 4); especially among those aged 35-44 (data not shown). Among all not employed persons (with or without disabilities) “job of limited duration that ended” was the most reported cause for the 15 to 34 year olds.
At the country level, different situations became apparent among the not employed people with basic activity difficulties (data not shown): with 18.7% in Italy and 16.4% in Slovenia, “own illness or disability” as the reason for leaving the last job arrived only in third position behind “normal retirement” and “dismissed or made redundant”. In France, “own illness or disability” was the fourth most common reason (with 16.4%) after both aforementioned categories and “job of limited duration that ended”. Among the not employed persons having basic activity difficulties, “early retirement” was mentioned by 57.0% in Croatia.
Data sources and availability
All statistics presented in this article are derived from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS). This is a quarterly, large sample survey providing results for the population living in private households in the EU, EFTA and the candidate countries.
The EU-LFS included an ad-hoc module on employment of disabled people in 2002 and 2011. The aim of this module was to provide information on the situation of disabled people on the labour market as compared to those without disabilities. The target population of this module is the working age population (i.e. population aged 15-64).
Context
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes in Article 27 “the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities”. This includes prohibition of discrimination, protection of rights, access to education, employment in the public and private sector, possibilities for self-employment and support in order to maintain employment on equal terms with others. The OECD acknowledged as far back as 1992 that: “A need for more co-ordination of all policies which affect the labour market participation of people with disabilities is an overriding concern”. The national reports on the employment of disabled people in European countries provide evidence of widespread initiatives in policy and legislation in recent years. These include, for example, the right to an interview (e.g. in Poland and Denmark), assistance in adaptation of the workplace, employer incentives/subsidies, rights to flexible working, job matching, personal assistance at work, support for self-employment, etc. Although many initiatives have been taken, and more focus has been given to the integration of disabled people, more can be done. There is thus still a need for more knowledge, and more co-ordination in the area. Indeed, there is a relative lack of information about the types of jobs and sectors that disabled people are employed in, not least because many disabled people employed in the ordinary labour market are not recognised or measured in reported figures, e.g. because they are not recorded as having work limitations or receiving specific support services.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Statistical analysis and publication of the results of the 2011 Labour Force Survey ad hoc module on employment of disabled people
Database
- Disability, see:
- Access to labour market for disabled people (source LFS) (hlth_dsb_lm)
Dedicated section
- Health, see
- Disability
Methodology / Metadata
- Prevalence of disability (source LFS) (hlth_dsb_prv)
- Background articles in Statistics Explained
Other information
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 317/2010 of 16 April 2010 adopting the specifications of the 2011 ad hoc module on employment of disabled people for the labour force sample survey provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98
External links
- European Disability Strategy 2010-2020
- The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
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