Employment and disability in Australia

People with disability make up a significant share of Australia’s working-age population but continue to face challenges in the labour market.

New JSA insights highlight these challenges, identify a sizeable job‑ready cohort, and outline opportunities to unlock their potential through inclusive employment and targeted support.

Key findings:

  • The participation rate for people with disability has increased from 53.4% in 2018 to 60.5% in 2022.
  • People with disability have a lower participation rate (60.5%) and higher unemployment rate (7.5%) than those without disability.
  • Around 260,000 people with disability are not employed but are potentially job ready.
  • Commonly cited barriers include limited suitable jobs, transport problems, and a lack of workplace adjustments, rather than reasons related to their disability.

For more information, download the Insights report.

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