Last week, the Office of the New York State Comptroller issued an encouraging report indicating labor force participation for working-age individuals with disabilities rose 4.6 percentage points between 2019 and 2024.
This is welcome news, and I am glad to see initiatives aimed at increasing participation from the disability community have made an impact. However, more work is needed if we are going to make New York a national leader in supporting and employing these incredible individuals.
According to the report, the national average workforce participation rate for those 16 years and older with a disability jumped more than 5 percentage points during the period measured in the comptroller’s report, and overall, New York’s workforce participation rate for those with disabilities, 28.8%, trailed the national average of 32.3%. While it is great to see New York make some progress, we must continue looking for ways to ensure all New Yorkers have a fair chance to achieve their career-oriented goals…