[nabs-l] unemployment rate?

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi Kurt and all,

Since I do psychological research related to blindness and
rehabilitation, I often have to look up statistics on unemployment and
other disadvantages blind Americans face when I write grants or make
presentations about my research. I have been quite troubled by the
lack of accurate statistics or by the use of statistics that classify
people with other disabilities in the same category as the blind.
Recently, beginning in 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
began collecting disability-specific employment data. You can find a
summary by going to
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&SubTopicID=177

The survey defines "vision loss" as an affirmative answer to the
question, "Are you blind or have trouble seeing, even with glasses"?
It's  important to note that according to the BLS there are three
levels of employment: employed, unemployed but  seeking employment,
and "not in the labor force". While only 6% of blind working-age
adults (aged 16-64) were classified as "unemployed but seeking
employment" in September 2010, a frightening 56% were classified as
"not in the labor force". As a result of this extensive
non-participation in the labor force, only 38% of  all working-age
blind adults were classified as employed, with 6% unemployed but
seeking work and the remaining 56% "not in the labor force". By
comparison, the "labor force nonparticipation" rate for nondisabled
adults, including those over the age of 65, is 30%,  so it's likely to
be much lower in the working-age population.

Of course I don't really know what "not in the labor force" means. One
problem is that people are classified as blind if they answer "yes" to
the blindness question even if they also answer "yes" to other
questions about additional disabilities.  So at this time there's no
real estimate for people who are just blind. I also don't know if
someone is counted as "not in the labor force" if they're just not
actively seeking a job in the month of the survey. But, clearly, there
is a problem if our rate of workforce non-participation is at least
double that of the nondisabled population. And, if you look at just
those blind adults who are actively seeking work, their unemployment
rate is 13.4%--also significantly higher than that for the
sighted/nondisabled population.

Arielle

On 2/13/11, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi,
> Its an old AFB stastic and I heard it includes those with other challenges,
> like cognitive impairment.
> For other western countries, goole will help.
> Something like the Canadian National institute for the blind may help.
> AFB may also have stats for other countries.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joshua Lester
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2011 4:50 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] unemployment rate?
>
> This can be on the NABS list. In order to get a better answer, though,
> you must put it on the NFB talk list.
> Blessings, Joshua
>
> On 2/13/11, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear nabs list,
>>   I'm not really sure where to ask, but I have a few questions about
>> our infamous 70 percent unemployment rate.  So here goes:
>> 1.  When was the last time we obtained statistics about the
>> unemployment rate of blind people?  (in other words, has it changed at
>> all, because I've been hearing 70 percent for a long, long time.)
>> 2.  Does this include cognatively disabled people, or is it 70 percent
>> of those of us who are only blind?  (I'm not really concerned about
>> how people with other physical disabilities impact that statistic)
>> 3.  What are the unemployment rates for other blind people in western
>> European countries?  (that one might be addressed to the gentleman on
>> the list who suggests we all pack our bags and get the heck out of
>> America)
>> And finally....  *big drumroll*
>> 4.  Of the blind people employed in the United States, what percentage
>> work in the blindness field?
>>   Best,
>> Kirt
>> P.S.  That last question wasn't meant in any kind of condescending or
>> judgmental way at all, I'm just curious.  As I've said earlier, I
>> respect qualified blind people who work in the blindness arena.
>>
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-- 
Arielle Silverman
President, National Association of Blind Students
Phone:  602-502-2255
Email:
nabs.president at gmail.com
Website:
www.nabslink.org