Two new updates in Jobs and Skills Australia’s ‘JSA Insights series’ have been released. They are companion reports focussed on the workforce experiences of people with disability:
- Employment and disability in Australia, and
- Employer attitudes toward disability inclusion in the Australian workforce
Collectively these reports provide a comprehensive picture of employment outcomes for people with disability in Australia, combining labour market data with employer perspectives.
Together, they highlight a clear and consistent message: while there is strong potential to increase workforce participation, people with disability continue to face significant structural and attitudinal barriers across the employment system.
Around 2.7 million Australians of working age have a disability (16% of the population), yet participation (60.5%) and employment outcomes remain well below those without disability, and unemployment rates almost double the national average at 7.5 percent.
A key contribution of the reports is identifying a sizeable “job-ready” cohort of around 260,000 people with disability who are not currently employed but are actively seeking work or intend to do so. This group tends to be younger, have less severe limitations, and often has prior work experience, suggesting they have strong potential for successful workforce entry with the right support.
Sadly though they face barriers such as lower educational attainment, limited access to suitable jobs, transport challenges, and a lack of workplace adjustments. This finding reinforces the importance of transition support from school into VET and employment for people with disability, as well as targeted skills development to improve access to higher-skilled roles.
From an employer perspective, the research shows a mix of goodwill and uncertainty. Many employers report positive experiences hiring people with disability, including improved workplace culture and access to a broader talent pool. However, only 29 percent of surveyed employers reported currently employing someone with disability, and while 59 percent of those employers without experience said they would be open to doing so, a significant proportion remain hesitant.
Concerns about job suitability, safety, and perceived capability continue to shape hiring decisions, highlighting the ongoing influence of misconceptions and limited exposure to inclusive practices (and the opportunity for skills development to make a difference here as well).
The reports also point to important system-level issues that limit progress. Awareness and use of government supports remain low, with 82 percent of employers who hired a person with disability not accessing any subsidies or programs. Workplace adjustments, many of which may be low-cost and practical, eg flexible work arrangements or job redesign, are reported to not be consistently implemented, and in many cases are only introduced reactively. There are also notable differences across industries and regions, with higher inclusion in sectors like health care and retail, and lower representation in construction and professional services, as well as in regional areas.
