Youth with disabilities and employment
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Many young adults and the vast majority of 15- to 19-year-olds attend school or study full-time, regardless of whether they have a disability. While some have a job during the school year or in summer, others prefer to focus on their full-time studies. Thus, in this population, it is important to examine employment status together with school participation.
Among 15- to 19-year-olds, approximately 6 in 7 youth had attended school at one time or another in 2010/2011 (Table A.1). This proportion was about the same for youth aged 15 to 19 with a mild or moderate disability as for those without a disability (approximately 85%).
| Attended school between September 2010 and May 2011 | Worked in 2010 or 2011 | Did not attend school between September 2010 and May 2011 and did not work in 2010 or 2011table1Note 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| percentage | |||
| 15 to 19 | |||
| No disability (ref.) | 85 | 57 | 5 |
| Mild or moderate disability | 85 | 44Note * | 8Note E: Use with caution Note * |
| Severe or very severe disability | 74 | 35Note * | 12Note E: Use with caution Note * |
| 20 to 24 | |||
| No disability (ref.) | 54 | 87 | 5 |
| Mild or moderate disability | 46Note * | 73Note * | 17Note E: Use with caution Note * |
| Severe or very severe disability | 31Note E: Use with caution Note * | 48Note * | 34Note E: Use with caution Note * |
E use with caution
|
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Differences in employment participation between youth with and without a disability were larger than differences in school attendance. Among youth aged 15 to 19, 35% of those with a severe or very severe disability had been employed at one time or another between January 2010 and May 2011, compared with 44% of those with a mild or moderate disability and 57% of those without a disability. Among 20- to 24-year-olds, 48% of those with a severe or very severe disability had been employed at one time or another, compared with 73% of those with a mild or moderate disability and 87% of those without a disability.
Various circumstances may result in youth aged 15 to 24 attending school or being employed during the school year. Such circumstances are not necessarily related to discrimination or social exclusion, as they can also be the result of personal preferences. Therefore, from a participation and social integration perspective, another important measure is the proportion of youth who were neither enrolled nor employed during the year.Note 1
About 5% of youth aged 15 to 19 without a disability were in that situation. The proportion was higher among those with disabilities, but it was still a minority was neither enrolled nor employed (8% of those with a mild or moderate disability and 12% of those with a severe or very severe disability). These results can be explained by the relatively strong school attendance of youth aged 15 to 19, regardless of whether they had a disability and whether the disability was more or less severe.
However, the picture was different for 20- to 24-year-olds, for whom lower school attendance does not necessarily translate into a greater labour force participation. In this age group, 5% of youth without a disability had been neither enrolled nor employed from 2010 to May 2011. By comparison, that was the case for 17% of those with a mild or moderate disability and 34% of those with a severe or very severe disability.
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