The aftermath of the acute phase of the pandemic has brought two important disability-related trends to the workplace. First, cognitive difficulties, debilitating fatigue, and other challenging conditions have become increasingly prevalent as long-term consequences of infection with COVID-19. Partly as a result, the number of adults reporting disabilities has surged in recent years. From February 2020 to August 2023, the number of adults with disabilities rose 3.1 million, or 10% (Table 1 and Figure 1). By comparison, the number of adults with no disability rose by only 2% over the same stretch.
This upward spike breaks a long-term trend. From 2009 to 2019, the number of adults with disabilities grew at only 1% per year, roughly the same pace as the number of people without disabilities. These figures are based on the monthly Current Population Survey (the same survey used to track the unemployment rate) which tracks disability by asking respondents whether they have one of six conditions, including “serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.”
The second and more empowering trend: The combination of advancing technology and pandemic-related pressures have made it easier for Americans with disabilities to find working situations that are a good match to their needs. The rapid adaptation of businesses to “work from home” during the pandemic allowed workers with disabilities to operate from a more congenial or accommodating environment, including being able to take breaks when necessary and not have to struggle with commuting and mobility issues. At the same time, advancing technology has also lowered the barriers for Americans to access forms of independent, flexible work, like gig-economy delivery and ride-sharing platforms, that can be better suited to workers with unpredictable challenges such as those related to fatigue, chronic pain, or mental health issues.
These two trends together have produced a startling shift in the workforce: Between the beginning of the pandemic in February 2020 and the latest data in August 2023, the number of employed Americans with disabilities soared by 33% or 1.9 million (Table 1 and Figure 2). By comparison, the number of employed Americans without disabilities rose by only 1%, or 1.5 million (these figures include self-employed). In other words, workers with disabilities account for 57% of the increase in employment since the beginning of the pandemic. That’s compared to less than 5% of overall employment.
These results highlight the central role of Americans with disabilities in the post-pandemic workforce. Debates over key workplace issues, such as the pressure to shift from “working from home” back to “working at the office,” and attempts to regulate flexible platform work, must be seen through the lens of how they affect Americans with disabilities. As employers and policymakers debate the shape of the post-pandemic workplace, they should preserve the changes to the workplace that made it more hospitable to people with disabilities.