Hiring workers with disabilities makes sense whether the job market is hot or cold

The U.S. Department of Labor released its latest report in September, and it was more of the same. Unemployment remained at 3.9 percent, where it has hovered for much of the year, but there was a shift for one key demographic. After decades of struggle, workers with disabilities are beginning to move the needle, outpacing the employment gains of people without disabilities. In August 2018, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities jumped to 30.2 percent from 29.5 percent the year before. The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities also increased, rising from 32.5 percent in August 2017 to 33 percent in August 2018

Promising Practices: BPA&O Collaboration with One-Stop Centers, Part I. Co-location of One Stop and BPA&O Services: Resource Partnership (Massachusetts)

The 1997 Workforce Investment Act reformed the national workforce development system and created One Stop Employment Centers in each state. As part of this reform, state vocational rehabilitation agencies and other employment services are brought together to serve individuals with employment training and support needs, including individuals with disabilities. This brief describes a successful partnership between a Social Security Administration-funded Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) project and a One Stop agency in Western Massachusetts. The collaboration has resulted in mutual benefit for the agencies and for the One Stop recipients