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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
10/23/2025 11:49:31 AM
Tim O'Neill
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). With this awareness, we commemorate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to America's workplaces and economy. The theme for NDEAM 2025 is "Celebrating Value and Talent." Along with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) also recognizes the importance that workers with disabilities bring to the state's labor market and economy. Through /deed/job-seekers/disabilities/index.jspDEED's online resources, including Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), those with disabilities can develop work skills, find suitable jobs and live as independently as possible. DEED also has /deed/business/finding-workers/hiring-disabilities/index.jspresources for employers looking to hire and retain workers with disabilities.
According to 1-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), the 7-County Twin Cities Metro Area had nearly 334,300 people report having at least one disability in 2023. This represented over one-tenth (10.7%) of the region's total population. This also represents a 20.1% increase in the number of people reporting a disability over the past decade of available data. This is equivalent to just over 56,000 additional people.
Much of the increase in the Metro Area's population with a reported disability can be linked to the region's overall aging. Between 2000 and 2024, the region's population expanded by 21.1% (+557,083). The most rapid growth was in those older age cohorts, with those between 65 and 74 years witnessing the fastest growth (+124.1%):
| Table 1. Metro Area Population with a Disability by Age, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age | Share with a Disability | Number with a Disability |
| 0-4 years | 0.7% | 1,275 |
| 5-17 years | 4.8% | 25,694 |
| 18-64 years | 8.9% | 172,481 |
| 65+ years | 27.4% | 136,042 |
| Total, All | 10.7% | 334,257 |
| Source: American Community Survey | ||
As the population ages, the incidence of disability rises. Turning once more to the ACS, the share of 0- to 4-year-olds with a reported disability was 0.7% in the Metro Area in 2023. This increased to 4.8% for 5- to 17-year-olds and 8.9% for 18- to 64-year-olds. The biggest jump, where the region is witnessing a lot of population growth, is for those persons 65 years of age and older. Over one-quarter (27.4%) of those 65 years of age and older reported having a disability in the Metro Area in 2023 (Table 1).
With NDEAM specifically focusing on disability employment awareness, let's sharpen our zoom in on labor force statistics. According to ACS estimates, there were about 92,400 persons with a reported disability participating in the Metro Area's labor force between the ages of 20 and 64 years. As such, those with disabilities make up about 5.8% of the region's total labor force. From the data, one can see that the labor force participation rate for those with a reported disability, at 57.2%, is significantly lower than the labor force participation rate for the total population in that same age cohort, 85.4%. The data also reveals unemployment is higher for those with disabilities. In 2023, the unemployment rate for those with a reported disability, 9.8%, was over two and a half times higher than the unemployment rate for the total population, 3.7% (Table 2).
| Table 2. Metro Area Labor Force Characteristics, Ages 20-64 Years, 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | In Labor Force | Labor Force Participation Rate | Unemployment Rate | Share of Total Labor Force |
| Total Labor Force | 1,601,092 | 85.4% | 3.7% | 100.0% |
| With Any Disability | 92,361 | 57.2% | 9.8% | 5.8% |
| Source: American Community Survey | ||||
With the aging of the Metro Area's population projected to continue through the next decade, our labor force will also continue to age. This will likely result in a greater share of the region's labor force having a reported disability. While it's important to understand and prepare for these trends in the region, the value and talent that those workers with disabilities bring is paramount. Whether you're a worker with disabilities or an employer, check out this month's NDEAM resources online here: careerforce.mn.gov/NDEAM.
To discover more about population and labor force trends in the Twin Cities Metro Area, contact Tim O'Neill, Labor Market Analyst, at Timothy.ONeill@state.mn.us.
