Better work opportunities for disabled people   22 Dec 2014

Minister for Disability Issues Nicky Wagner welcomed the release of the ‘Disability and the labour market’ report from Statistics New Zealand, which showed that more disabled people are working, but there is room for improvement.

“Disabled people want to have a job to support themselves and their families, just like all New Zealanders,” Ms Wagner said.

“The report shows some improvement in the employment of disabled people, with 61 per cent of disabled people aged 15 to 64 working in paid jobs in 2013. The employment rate of all disabled adults, including those aged over 64, was 45 per cent in 2013, up slightly from 40 per cent in 2001.

“However there is still a gap in employment of disabled people and their non-disabled peers. Half of all disabled adults were in the labour force compared to three-quarters of non-disabled adults. Disabled workers also tend to have lower incomes than non-disabled workers.

“Increasing employment and economic opportunities is one of the shared result areas in the Disability Action Plan 2014 – 2018. I am pleased that this report is coming out now as it will help inform the design and implementation of actions under this Plan.

“A good job enables disabled people to live with dignity and be part of their communities. As Minister for Disability Issues I am committed to working with the disability community to increase opportunities for disabled New Zealanders to gain employment,” Ms Wagner said.

Further information about the report can be found here: www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/health/disabilities/disability-and-labour-market.aspx

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