Labour Market Statistics for Scotland by Disability: January to December 2022

Key Points

The data provided in this publication can be found in supporting tables. Where possible the tables provide estimates for each individual year and include additional metrics by disability not commented on in this publication.

Over the year to January to December 2022, for both disabled and non-disabled people aged 16 to 64:

• the employment rate increased
• the unemployment rate decreased
• the economic inactivity rate decreased
• However, the percentage point (pp) increase in the employment rate for non-disabled people and the percentage point (pp) decrease in the inactivity rates for non-disabled people were larger than the pp changes for disabled people.

Compared to non-disabled people, disabled people had:

• a significantly lower employment rate (disabled people: 50.7 per cent; non-disabled people: 82.5 per cent)
• a significantly higher inactivity rate (disabled people: 46.0 per cent; non-disabled people: 15.1 per cent)
• a higher unemployment rate (disabled people: 6.2 per cent; non-disabled people: 2.8 per cent)

The difference between the employment rates for non-disabled and disabled people is the disability employment rate gap. In the period January to December 2022, the disability employment rate gap:

• was 31.9 percentage points (pp) due to the non-disabled employment rate (82.5 per cent) being significantly higher than the disabled employment rate (50.7 per cent)
• was wider for men compared to women (35.9 pp and 28.2 pp respectively)
• ranged between 23.5 pp and 35.8 pp for different age groups with 25 to 34 year olds having the narrowest gap and 35 to 49 year olds having the widest gap
• was wider for white groups compared to minority ethnic groups (32.8 pp and 22.9 pp respectively)

Since 2016, the disability employment rate gap has decreased by 5.5 percentage points from 37.4 percentage points to 31.9 percentage points.

In January to December 2022, disabled people were more likely to:

• work part-time
• not be in contractually secure work
• be underemployed

than non-disabled people.

In 2019, the disability pay gap was 16.2 per cent, wider than in any other year since the series began in 2014. The gap was narrowest in 2018 (8.3 per cent) but has nearly doubled over the year increasing by 7.9 pp.