East Hanover, NJ – April 3, 2026 – The April 2026 National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report shows modest gains in the employment of working-aged people with disabilities on pace with the modest gains in the overall labor market. nTIDE is issued monthly by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability .
Based on data from today's BLS Jobs Report and separate nTIDE analysis, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 38.1 percent in February 2026 to 38.5 percent in March 2026 (up 1 percent or 0.4 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 74.5 percent in February 2026 to 74.8 percent in March 2026 (up 0.4 percent or 0.3 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, is the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the total population, then multiplied by 100).
"This month's employment to population ratio (35.5%) returned to the upward trend we saw late last year and early this year," remarked John O'Neill, PhD , director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation.
"The poverty rate among families that include a person with a disability remains high and the increasing cost of living, driven by tariffs and the Iran war, may be prompting more individuals with disabilities to seek employment to help support their families. People with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live below the poverty line, according to the ' Annual Report on People with Disabilities in America '," he added.
Similarly, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities increased slightly from 41.8 percent in February 2026 to 41.9 percent in March 2026 (up 0.2 percent or 0.1 percentage point). For people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate decreased slightly from 78.1 percent in February 2026 to 78 percent in March 2026 (down 0.1 percent or 0.1 percentage point). The labor force participation rate reflects the percentage of people who are in the labor force (working, on temporary layoff, on furlough, or actively looking for work in the last four weeks) relative to the total population (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).
"The labor force participation rate of people with disabilities slightly increased in March," said Andrew Houtenville, PhD , professor of economics and director of the UNH-IOD. "This may reflect the increase in labor supply, as more people with disabilities enter the workforce to help their families cope with rising prices," he added. "The most immediate effect on the labor market today is inflation."
Compared with the same time last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities increased from 37.5 percent in March 2025 to 38.5 percent in March 2026 (up 2.7 percent or 1 percentage point). For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio remained the same at 74.8 percent in March 2025 and March 2026.
The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities increased from 40.9 percent in March 2025 to 41.9 percent in March 2026 (up 2.4 percent or 1 percentage point). For people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate remained the same at 78.0 percent in March 2025 and March 2026.
In March, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,568,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.3 percent of the total 151,224,000 workers in the U.S.
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
On the same day nTIDE is issued, the team hosts an nTIDE Lunch and Learn webinar. This live Zoom broadcast gives attendees a chance to ask questions about the latest findings, hear news and updates from the field, and learn from invited panelists who discuss current disability-related research and events.
On April 3, 2026, guest presenters Stacia Kingsbury , MPP, policy analyst, and Nate Thomas , MS, research data scientist, at the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability join Drs. O'Neill, Houtenville, and Shoshana Marin, public policy fellow at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Visit the nTIDE archives at ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE to register for free or watch a recording of this nTIDE Lunch and Learn episode.
About National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE)
nTIDE is a joint effort of Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability. The nTIDE team tracks employment trends for people with and without disabilities, issuing monthly reports that reflect the impact of economic changes on the workforce. These reports use data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics but are customized by UNH-IOD to focus on working-age adults (ages 16 to 64). nTIDE is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler Foundation.
About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire expands access and opportunity for people with disabilities in ways that strengthen communities locally and nationally. As part of a Carnegie Classification R1 university, the IOD accelerates disability inclusion through research, education, and collaboration. Its Center for Research on Disability
