Disability and the labour market
Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
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Citation
Statistics New Zealand (2014). Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013
Disability Survey. Available from www.stats.govt.nz.
ISBN 978-0-478-42950-3 (online)
Published in December 2014 by
Statistics New Zealand
Tatauranga Aotearoa
Wellington, New Zealand
Contact
Statistics New Zealand Information Centre: info@stats.govt.nz
Phone toll-free 0508 525 525
Phone international +64 4 931 4600
www.stats.govt.nz
Contents
List of figures ..................................................................................................4
1 Purpose and key points .............................................................................5
Purpose ........................................................................................................5
Key points.....................................................................................................5
2 Introduction ................................................................................................7
3 Labour force participation .........................................................................9
Demographic differences..............................................................................9
Type and cause of impairment ................................................................... 10
Unemployment ........................................................................................... 11
4 Employment .............................................................................................. 13
Employment rates ...................................................................................... 13
Hours of work ............................................................................................. 13
Occupation ................................................................................................. 14
Industry....................................................................................................... 15
Income........................................................................................................ 16
5 Employment issues for disabled workers .............................................. 18
Limitations and difficulties........................................................................... 18
Workplace modifications............................................................................. 19
Changing jobs and retraining...................................................................... 19
Job satisfaction ........................................................................................... 20
6 Issues for disabled people not in employment ...................................... 22
Availability .................................................................................................. 22
Limitations .................................................................................................. 23
Workplace modifications............................................................................. 24
7 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 25
References .................................................................................................... 26
Appendix 1: About the New Zealand Disability Survey ............................. 27
Appendix 2: Definitions of terms used in this report ................................ 28
3
List of figures
3 Labour force participation .........................................................................9
1. Labour force participation rate, by disability status, age group, and sex ..9
2. Labour force participation rate for disabled adults, by impairment type .. 11
3. Labour force participation rate for disabled adults, by cause of
impairment.................................................................................................. 11
4. Unemployment rate, by disability status and sex .................................... 12
4 Employment .............................................................................................. 13
5. Percent of employed adults in part-time employment, by disability
status, sex, and age group ......................................................................... 14
6. Occupation of employed adults, by disability status ............................... 15
7. Main industries of employed adults, by disability status ......................... 16
8. Total annual personal income of employed adults, by disability status .. 17
5 Employment issues for disabled workers .............................................. 18
9. Percent of disabled workers (aged 15–64) who have difficulty with
tasks or duties in their main job, by impairment type .................................. 18
10. Percent of disabled workers (aged 15–64) who have had to retrain
or change jobs, by impairment type ............................................................ 20
11. Job satisfaction of employed adults (aged 15–64), by disability
status and age group .................................................................................. 21
6 Issues for disabled people not in employment ...................................... 22
12. Job searching and availability for work of disabled adults
(aged 15–64) not in paid work, by impairment type .................................... 22
13. Employment limitations of disabled adults (aged 15–64) not in paid
work, by impairment type............................................................................ 23
4
1 Purpose and key points
Purpose
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
uses data from the 2013 New Zealand Disability Survey to examine how
disabled people are faring in the labour market. It looks at rates of labour force
participation and employment and unemployment among disabled people, the
type of jobs they work in, the limitations and difficulties they face in finding
employment, and their needs for workplace modifications or special
equipment. This report compares the disabled and non-disabled populations
where relevant, and also looks at variations within the disabled population in
terms of demographic characteristics and types of impairment.
Key points
The 2013 Disability Survey showed that:
 half of all disabled adults were in the labour force (either employed, or
unemployed and looking for work) compared with three-quarters of nondisabled adults
 among those in the labour force, disabled people were more likely than
non-disabled people to be unemployed (9 percent compared with 5
percent)
 disabled people in employment were more likely than non-disabled to
work part-time (30 percent compared with 22 percent)
 over one-third (35 percent) of disabled workers were in professional or
managerial occupations, although they were less likely than non-disabled
workers (44 percent) to be in these types of jobs
 disabled workers tend to have lower incomes than non-disabled workers,
with 38 percent having annual incomes of $30,000 or less, and just 14
percent receiving over $70,000
 3 in 10 disabled workers aged under 65 (28 percent) said they had
difficulty doing some tasks or duties in their main job because of a
condition or health problem, and 1 in 10 (11 percent) said that a
condition or health problem limited the number of hours they could work
 relatively few disabled workers under the age of 65 needed special
modifications or equipment in their workplace: 10 percent said such
changes had been made to their workplaces, and 7 percent said they
needed modifications or additional modifications
 16 percent of disabled workers aged 15–64 years said they’d had to
change jobs because of a condition or health problem, and 11 percent
had had to retrain because of a condition or health problem
 three-quarters (74 percent) of disabled people aged 15–64 who weren't
employed said they would like to work if a job was available
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Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
 of those who weren't in employment, 62 percent were limited in the kind
of work they could do, and 58 percent were limited in the amount of work
they could do
 of those aged under 65 who were not employed, but had looked for work
in the previous four weeks, 13 percent said they would require a work
area with modifications, 11 percent said they would require special
equipment, and 9 percent said they would require building modifications
to get around.
6
2 Introduction
The opportunity to participate fully in the labour market is important to all
people of working age, enabling them to make productive contributions to
society and secure their own economic independence and well-being. For
disabled people, this opportunity may be constrained by a number of factors:
limitations in the type and amount of work they can do, difficulties in acquiring
relevant skills through education and training, inadequate accommodation of
their needs within workplaces, and negative perceptions among employers
and others about the capabilities of disabled workers.
The need to address the disadvantages faced by disabled people in the labour
market has for some time been officially recognised both internationally and in
New Zealand. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities in 2008 called on countries to “recognize the rights of persons with
disabilities to work on an equal basis with others”, and outlined a number of
steps to achieve this objective (United Nations, 2008, p19–20). The
International Labour Organization (ILO) had earlier adopted a convention
promoting the “vocational rehabilitation” and employment of disabled people
(ILO, 1983) and has since established a Disability Programme which
“promotes equality of opportunity and treatment for persons with disabilities in
vocational rehabilitation, training and employment” (ILO, nd.).
In New Zealand, discrimination in employment on the grounds of disability was
first prohibited by the Human Rights Act 1993. More proactively, the 2001
New Zealand Disability Strategy included among its objectives to “provide
opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people”
and outlined a number of actions to achieve this end (Minister for Disability
Issues, 2001, p17–18). Recently, strategic priorities for implementing both the
Disability Strategy and the UN Convention have been set out in the
Government’s Disability Action Plan 2014–2018. This plan includes a strategy
to increase employment and economic opportunities which “focuses on
building employers’ confidence to employ disabled people and provide
accessible workplaces, opportunities for work experiences, entrepreneurship,
and education achievement and skill development” (Office for Disability
Issues, 2014, p5).
Good statistical information is crucial to achieving these objectives, allowing
us to monitor how disabled people are faring in the labour market and the
issues they face in finding and maintaining suitable employment. The New
Zealand Disability Survey is the primary source of this information. The survey
has been carried out in the same year as the Census of Population and
Dwellings since 1996, collecting a wide range of information about disabled
people and their social and economic outcomes. This includes information
about their participation in the labour force, the nature of their employment,
and the issues they face in their jobs or in finding work.
This report provides a summary of the labour market information from the
2013 Disability Survey, following on from a similar report based on results
from the previous survey in 2006 (Statistics New Zealand, 2008). The report is
7
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
accompanied by a set of Excel tables available on our website, which provide
more-detailed data.
View Disability and the labour market online, including the accompanying
Excel tables.
8
3 Labour force participation
This chapter describes levels of labour force participation and unemployment
among disabled people, and how they vary by demographic factors and the
types and causes of impairments.
Demographic differences
The 2013 Disability Survey showed that half (50 percent) of all disabled adults
were participating in the labour force – either employed or unemployed (that
is, available for and actively seeking work). The participation rate for disabled
people increased from 44 percent in 2001. However, it remained considerably
lower than the rate for non-disabled people, which stood at 76 percent in 2013
(75 percent in 2001).
Age and sex
The extent of the gap between the labour force participation rates of disabled
and non-disabled people partly reflects the older age profile of the disabled
population. Among those aged under 65, the gap was smaller, with
participation rates of 68 percent for disabled people and 80 percent for nondisabled people.
However, as Figure 1 shows, participation rates were lower for disabled than
for non-disabled adults for both sexes and in each of the major age groups,
with the gaps being proportionally greatest for those aged 65 and over (65+).
Figure 1
1. Labour forc e participati on rate, by dis ability status , age group, and s ex
Ethnic group and region
Labour force participation rates for all disabled adults were broadly similar
across ethnic groups and regions. Rates for ethnic groups ranged from 47
percent for Pacific peoples to 53 percent for Māori. Regionally, rates varied
from 45 percent in the combined Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, and West
9
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Coast regions to 53 percent in each of the Wellington and
Manawatu/Wanganui regions.
Educational qualifications
Educational qualifications made a considerable difference to labour force
participation for both the disabled and non-disabled populations, with
participation tending to increase with the level of qualification. Among the
disabled population, participation rates increased from 36 percent among
those people with no formal qualifications, to 71 percent for those with
university degrees.
Disabled adults tend to have fewer qualifications than non-disabled adults,
which is a contributing factor to their lower rates of labour force participation.
In 2013, one-third (33 percent) of all disabled adults had no formal educational
qualifications, compared with 15 percent of non-disabled adults, while just 12
percent of disabled adults had university qualifications, compared with 25
percent of non-disabled adults. However, disabled people tended to have
lower levels of labour force participation than non-disabled people, regardless
of their level of qualification.
Type and cause of impairment
Rates of labour force participation vary according to the type and cause of
people’s impairments.
Note that when looking at types and causes of impairment, some of the
categories have a relatively small sample size, meaning that differences
between the categories may not be statistically significant. We should
therefore be cautious about drawing conclusions from these figures (see
Appendix 2 for more about statistical significance).
Type of impairment
People with lower participation rates included those with impairments related
to agility (33 percent participation rate), mobility (37 percent), and
remembering (39 percent). These lower rates partly reflect the older age
profile of people with these types of impairment, with relatively large
proportions in the 65+ age group when labour force participation rates are
generally lower.
At the other end of the scale, people with higher participation rates included
those with psychiatric/psychological impairments (52 percent); and hearing,
sight, or speaking impairments (all 47–48 percent). However, these rates were
still well below the 76 percent participation rate for non-disabled adults.
10
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 2
2. Labour forc e participati on rate for dis abl ed adults, by impairment type
Cause of impairment
The relationship between age and labour force participation among disabled
people is also apparent when looking at cause of impairment. Figure 3 shows
people with impairments due to ageing (most of whom were aged 65+) had a
labour force participation rate of just 36 percent. This was similar to the rate
for people with impairments caused by disease or illness (39 percent). On the
other hand, those whose impairment had existed at birth had a relatively high
participation rate of 59 percent.
Figure 3
3. Labour forc e participati on rate for dis abl ed adults, by caus e of impairment
Unemployment
Disabled people are not only much less likely than non-disabled people to
participate in the labour force, but those who do are also considerably more
11
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
likely to be unemployed. The 2013 Disability Survey showed that disabled
people had an unemployment rate of 9 percent, compared with 5 percent for
non-disabled people. The unemployment rate for disabled people was the
same as in 2001, while the rate for non-disabled people had fallen slightly
from 6 percent in 2001. Higher unemployment rates among disabled people
may partly reflect the lower levels of educational attainment noted earlier.
Variations in unemployment rates within the disabled population tended to
mirror those in the non-disabled population. Among disabled adults, the
unemployment rate was higher for women than men (although the difference
was not statistically significant), higher for those aged under 45 than those
aged 45–64, and higher for those without tertiary qualifications. Reliably
comparing unemployment rates between different regions and ethnic groups
is difficult due to the size of the survey sample.
Figure 4
4. U nempl oyment rate, by dis ability status and s ex
As with labour force participation, unemployment varies considerably by type
and cause of impairments. Looking at impairment types, unemployment rates
were higher among those with intellectual impairments (17 percent); and those
with learning, speaking, and remembering impairments (all 14–15 percent).
People with mobility and hearing impairments had much lower unemployment
rates (7 percent), although this was still higher than the rate among the nondisabled population (5 percent).
In terms of the cause of impairments, unemployment rates ranged from 6–7
percent for those with impairments caused by accident/injury or ageing, to 15
percent for those with impairments existing since birth.
12
4 Employment
This chapter looks at employment patterns among disabled workers, including
their rates of employment, hours of work, the occupations and industries they
work in, and their income levels.
Employment rates
The combination of lower rates of labour force participation and higher rates of
unemployment results in considerably lower rates of employment among the
disabled population when compared with non-disabled people. In 2013, 45
percent of all disabled adults were employed, compared with 72 percent of all
non-disabled adults. In 2001, the employment rates were 40 percent for
disabled adults and 70 percent for non-disabled adults.
As with labour force participation, the older age profile of the disabled
population has a considerable effect on their employment rate. Among those
aged under 65, the gap was smaller but still significant, with employment rates
of 61 percent for disabled people and 76 percent for non-disabled people.
Employment rates varied considerably within the disabled population,
reflecting the differences in labour force participation discussed in the previous
chapter. Among disabled people, the likelihood of being employed was greater
for men, for those aged 45–64, and for those with tertiary qualifications. By
impairment type, employment rates ranged from 30 percent for those with
agility impairments to 45 percent for those with psychiatric/psychological or
hearing impairments.
Hours of work
Disabled people are not only less likely than non-disabled people to be in
employment, but if employed they are more likely to work part-time (fewer
than 30 hours a week). In 2013, 30 percent of employed disabled people
worked part-time, compared with 22 percent of non-disabled people. The rate
of part-time employment was particularly high for disabled women, of whom
42 percent worked fewer than 30 hours, compared with 19 percent of disabled
men. Although part-time work is generally more common among women than
men, it was more common for disabled than non-disabled women, of whom 34
percent worked part-time.
In part, higher rates of part-time employment among disabled workers reflect
their older age profile, given that part-time work tends to increase around
retirement age. However, as figure 5 shows, part-time work was more
common for disabled than non-disabled workers in each age group and for
both sexes, with the exception of males aged under 45. In the retirement age
group of 65+, disabled workers were more likely to work part-time than fulltime, with 50 percent of men and 60 percent of women working fewer than 30
hours a week.
13
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 5
5. Perc ent of employed adults in part-ti me employment, by dis ability status , s ex, and ag e group
The disabled population also showed some variation in the incidence of parttime work by type of impairment. Part-time employment was particularly
common among those with psychiatric/psychological, remembering, mobility,
or agility impairments – ranging between 34 and 37 percent of all employed
people with those impairments.
Occupation
Disabled workers have a similar pattern of occupational distribution to nondisabled workers, with the largest concentrations being in professional and
managerial occupations. However, disabled workers were less likely than nondisabled workers to be either professionals (19 percent, compared with 25
percent) or managers (16 percent, compared with 19 percent). These
proportions may reflect the fact that disabled adults are less likely to have
tertiary qualifications.
Conversely, disabled workers were more likely than non-disabled workers to
work in manual occupations: 14 percent of employed disabled people were
labourers, 13 percent were in technical and trades occupations, and 7 percent
worked as machinery operators or drivers. Although this may seem contrary to
expectations, note that many disabled workers do not have impairments that
restrict their capacity for physical work, and that manual jobs do not all involve
heavy physical activities. People who work in manual jobs are also more at
risk of workplace accidents or injuries that may result in disability.
14
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 6
6. Occ upati on of empl oyed adul ts, by dis ability status
The disabled workforce showed some marked gender differences that
reflected those in the wider workforce. Disabled women were more likely than
disabled men to work as clerical and administrative workers, community and
personal service workers, or professionals. They were less likely than disabled
men to work as technicians or trades workers, labourers, or machinery
operators and drivers.
Industry
The occupational profile of disabled workers is reflected in their distribution
across industries. As figure 7 shows, relatively large proportions of disabled
workers were employed in industries that employ significant numbers of
manual and/or low-skilled workers, including manufacturing (11 percent);
agriculture, forestry, and fishing (9 percent); and construction (8 percent). A
relatively large proportion (11 percent) were also employed in the health care
and social assistance industries, which are dominated by professionals and
community and personal service workers.
On the other hand, the under-representation of disabled workers in
professional occupations is reflected in their under-representation in the
professional, scientific, and technical service industries – these employed 7
percent of disabled workers, compared with 10 percent of non-disabled
workers.
15
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 7
7. M ain industries of empl oyed adults, by dis ability status
The industrial distribution of disabled workers also showed marked gender
differences. Disabled women were most commonly employed in health care
and social assistance (18 percent), education and training (13 percent), and
retailing (12 percent). Disabled men were more likely to be employed in
manufacturing and construction (both 14 percent) and agriculture, forestry,
and fishing (13 percent).
Income
Disabled workers tend to have lower incomes than non-disabled workers,
reflecting their greater representation in lower-skilled occupations and in parttime work. Figure 8 shows that 38 percent of disabled workers received
incomes of $30,000 or less from all income sources for the year to March
2013, compared with 30 percent of non-disabled workers. At the other end of
the scale, just 14 percent of disabled workers had incomes over $70,000,
compared with 23 percent of non-disabled workers.
Among full-time workers, there was still a considerable gap in the proportions
of disabled and non-disabled workers in the highest income bracket: 18
percent of disabled full-time workers had incomes over $70,000, compared
with 28 percent of non-disabled people in full-time work.
16
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 8
8. T otal annual personal inc ome of empl oyed adults, by dis ability status
Gender income differences among disabled workers reflect those in the wider
workforce. Almost half (48 percent) of disabled women in employment had
incomes of $30,000 or less, compared with 28 percent of disabled male
workers. Just 10 percent of disabled women were in the highest income
bracket of $70,000+, compared with 18 percent of disabled male workers.
These gender differences are proportionally similar to those within the nondisabled workforce.
17
5 Employment issues for disabled workers
This chapter examines some of the issues faced by disabled workers,
including limitations in the amount or kind of paid work they can do, the need
for workplace modifications, and the need to retrain or change jobs because of
their impairments. It concludes with a look at levels of job satisfaction.
Limitations and difficulties
Many disabled people in employment face limitations in the amount or kind of
paid work they can do. Of those aged under 65 with paid jobs at the time of
the 2013 Disability Survey, 28 percent said they had difficulty doing some
tasks or duties in their main job because of a condition or health problem, and
11 percent said a condition or health problem limited the number of hours they
could work. Both types of limitation were more common among people aged
45+ than among younger people. Women were much more likely than men to
be limited in the hours they could work (15 percent, compared with 7 percent),
although not in the tasks or duties they performed.
Being limited in the number of hours they could work was relatively common
for those with agility impairments (25 percent); and those with impairments
relating to psychiatric/psychological conditions, mobility, learning, or
remembering (all between 17 and 19 percent). As figure 9 shows, the
proportions of workers having difficulty with tasks or duties in their jobs varied
considerably. People with agility impairments were more than twice as likely to
experience such difficulties as those with hearing or sight impairments (51
percent, compared with 24 percent).
Figure 9
9. Perc ent of dis abl ed wor kers ( aged 15–64) who have diffic ulty with tas ks or duties in their main job, by i mpairment type
18
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Workplace modifications
Despite these limitations and difficulties, relatively small proportions of
disabled workers were using special modifications or equipment in their
workplaces. Ten percent of employed disabled people aged under 65 said
modifications had been made to their work area or equipment to help them do
their job. Seven percent said they needed modifications or additional
modifications.
The use of or need for such modifications varied little by age or sex. It is
difficult to draw conclusions regarding impairment types due to small numbers
of people in the survey who required modifications, but those with agility
impairments were among those with the greatest need, with 17 percent
currently using modifications to their work area or equipment, and 13 percent
requiring modifications or additional modifications.
Eight percent of employed disabled people used building features in the
workplace such as hand rails, ramps, or wide hallways to help them get
around. Using building features was more common among those aged 45+
than for those aged under 45 (10 percent, compared with 5 percent). Those
with mobility or agility impairments also commonly used building features, with
18 percent of both groups doing so. There did not appear to be much unmet
need for special building features, with just 2 percent saying they were still in
need of building modifications to help them get around.
Changing jobs and retraining
Some disabled workers may face having to retrain or change jobs because of
their impairments and/or because workplaces don’t accommodate their needs.
Among employed disabled people aged 15–64, 16 percent said they’d had to
change jobs because of a condition or health problem, and 11 percent said
they’d had to retrain because of a condition or health problem.
Age and sex made little difference to these figures, but there was considerable
variation by impairment type, as figure 10 shows. Among those people more
likely to have had to change jobs, were those with psychiatric/psychological
impairments (30 percent changed jobs) or agility impairments (29 percent).
Retraining was relatively common among those with remembering, learning,
speaking, or psychiatric/psychological impairments (all 21 or 22 percent).
19
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 10
10. Perc ent of disabl ed wor kers (ag ed 15–64) who have had to r etr ain or c hange jobs, by i mpairment type
Job satisfaction
Despite the distinctive employment issues faced by disabled workers, most
were satisfied with their jobs. Employed people aged under 65 were asked to
rate their satisfaction with their job on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is very
dissatisfied and 10 is very satisfied. Among disabled workers, 55 percent
rated their job satisfaction at 8 or higher, with 35 percent rating it between 5
and 7.9, and just 9 percent rating it below 5.
However, their satisfaction levels were lower than for non-disabled workers.
Non-disabled workers were more likely to rate their job satisfaction at 8 or
higher (64 percent) and less likely to rate it below 5 (3 percent). As figure 11
shows, for both disabled and non-disabled workers, satisfaction levels tended
to be higher among workers aged 45–64. Men and women showed little
difference in job satisfaction levels.
20
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Figure 11
11. J ob satisfacti on of empl oyed adults (ag ed 15–64), by dis ability status and age group
21
6 Issues for disabled people not in employment
This chapter looks at issues faced by disabled people who aren’t in
employment, including their availability for work, limitations in the type or
amount of work they can do, and whether they would require workplace
modifications.
Availability
Most disabled people aged 15–64 who weren’t in paid employment at the time
of the 2013 Disability Survey wanted to work. Three-quarters (74 percent) said
they would like to work if a job was available, including 81 percent of 15–44year-olds and 66 percent of 45–64-year-olds who weren’t in employment.
Despite the high proportions wanting to work, only 27 percent of those who
weren’t employed had looked for work in the previous four weeks – including
34 percent of 15–44-year-olds and 20 percent of 45–64-year-olds.
These figures showed some variation by impairment type, as figure 12 shows.
People with psychiatric/psychological impairments were among the most likely
to want to work if a job was available (78 percent) and to have looked for work
in the previous four weeks (30 percent).
Figure 12
12. J ob searc hing and availability for wor k of dis abl ed adults ( aged 15–64) not i n pai d work, by i mpair ment type
Although the survey didn’t ask people why they hadn’t looked for work, one
factor may be that impairments restrict their ability to do so. Of those people
who had looked for work in the previous four weeks, almost half (49 percent)
22
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
said they found it difficult to look for work because of a condition or health
problem. This figure varied considerably by type of impairment, ranging from
37 percent for those with sight impairments, to 74 percent for those with agility
impairments. Some disabled people may also be discouraged from job
hunting due to limitations in the type and amount of work they can do, or
because of the workplace modifications or special equipment they would
require. We discuss these topics in the following sections.
Limitations
The survey asked disabled adults aged under 65 who were not in paid
employment whether a condition or health problem limited the kind of paid
work or the amount of paid work they could do. Most people did have such
limitations: 62 percent were limited in the kind of work they could do, while 58
percent were limited in the amount of work they could do. Both types of
limitation were more common among older people, with 72 percent of 45–64year-olds being limited in the kind of work they could do and 68 percent limited
in the amount of work.
Figure 13 shows some variation by impairment type. People with impairments
related to agility or remembering were among those more likely to have
limitations in the kind or amount of work they could do (around 8 out of 10 for
each impairment). Among those people least likely to experience these kinds
of limitations were those with sight or hearing impairments (around 6 out of 10
for each impairment).
Figure 13
13. Empl oyment limitati ons of disabl ed adul ts (ag ed 15–64) not in paid wor k, by i mpair ment type
23
Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Workplace modifications
Despite the limitations faced by large proportions of disabled people, relatively
few said they would require workplace modifications or special equipment in
order to be able to work. Of those aged 15–64 who were not employed but
had looked for work in the previous four weeks, 13 percent said they would
require a work area with modifications such as special seating, 11 percent
said they would require special equipment such as modified tools, and 9
percent said they would require building modifications such as ramps or wide
hallways. These sorts of modifications and equipment were more likely to be
required by those in the 45–64-year age group and those with agility or
mobility impairments.
24
7 Conclusion
Most disabled adults under retirement age are economically active, with
around 7 in 10 participating in the labour force, working across a wide range of
different types of jobs requiring different types of skills. However, when
compared with non-disabled people, they have lower rates of labour force
participation, higher rates of unemployment, poorer representation in highskilled occupations, and lower incomes.
Most disabled people who are not in employment want to work, but many face
difficulties in looking for jobs and are limited in the amount or type of work they
can do. These limitations are less prevalent among disabled people who do
have jobs, although a significant minority of them also had difficulty performing
some aspect of their jobs. However, these limitations did not necessarily
translate into a need for modifications to the workplace or equipment – the
proportion of disabled people needing such modifications was relatively small,
regardless of whether or not they were currently in work.
Disabled people have a very diverse demographic profile and different types
of impairment, so the disadvantages they face and the outcomes they
experience also vary considerably. Factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity
may compound the disadvantages associated with disability, and people with
some types of impairment tend to have more issues than others. For example,
people with agility impairments tend to have more limitations and difficulties
and poorer outcomes than those with hearing or sight impairments.
While outcomes are varied and many disabled people are faring well in the
labour market, the findings from the 2013 Disability Survey show that
considerable disparities persist between disabled and non-disabled people,
and that many disabled people face significant disadvantages in the labour
market. Addressing these issues will continue to form an integral part of New
Zealand’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, and its own Disability Strategy.
25
References
International Labour Organization (1983). ILO Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention (No. 159). Geneva: Author.
Available from www.ilo.org.
International Labour Organization (nd). Disability and work. Retrieved 20
November 2014, available from www.ilo.org.
Minister for Disability Issues (2001). The New Zealand Disability Strategy:
Making a world of difference: Whakanui Oranga. Wellington: Ministry of
Health. Available from www.odi.govt.nz.
Office for Disability Issues (2014). Disability action plan 2014–2018.
Wellington: Author. Available from www.odi.govt.nz.
Statistics New Zealand (2008). Disability and the labour market in New
Zealand in 2006. Wellington: Author. Available from www.stats.govt.nz.
United Nations (2008). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
and optional protocol. New York: United Nations. Available from www.un.org.
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Appendix 1: About the New Zealand Disability Survey
The New Zealand Disability Survey is currently the most comprehensive
source of information about disabled people living in New Zealand. We have
conducted a disability survey after every census since 1996.
The 2013 Disability Survey was run from July to October 2013, with a sample
of 23,000 children and adults living in private households or group homes (of
fewer than five people), and approximately 1,000 adults living in residential
care facilities. We did not include information about adults living in residential
care facilities in this report.
The objective of the 2013 Disability Survey was to answer the following
research questions.
1. What is the prevalence of disability in New Zealand, and how does it
vary across key subgroups in the population, defined on the basis of
age group, sex, and ethnic group?
2. To what extent do the social and economic outcomes of disabled
people differ from those of non-disabled people? How do outcomes
vary between different groups within the disabled population?
3. To what extent are the needs of disabled people currently met? What
level and type of support do they need to perform daily activities?
4. What factors facilitate or hinder the participation of disabled people in
important life areas (learning opportunities, paid work, civic society)?
5. Who are the main carers of disabled people and what types of support
do they provide?
This report uses data from the 2013 Disability Survey and the 2013 Census of
Population and Dwellings.
To shorten the length of interviews, some of a respondent’s census data was
added to their responses from the Disability Survey. This information includes
labour force participation, income, educational qualifications, and occupation.
Information collected in the survey is self-reported or reported on behalf of a
disabled person by their parent or main caregiver.
We have also used some data from the 2001 Disability Survey in this report.
Note that we have reweighted the data for 2001 using population estimates
based on the 2006 Census. We did this to increase comparability with 2013,
which we also weighted using population estimates based on the 2006
Census.
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Appendix 2: Definitions of terms used in this report
Adult: a person who is usually resident in New Zealand and is aged 15 years
or over.
Disabled person: someone with an impairment that had a long-term, limiting
effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. ‘Long-term’ is defined
as six months or longer. ‘Limiting effect’ means a restriction or lack of ability to
perform. People were not considered to have a disability if an assistive device
(such as glasses or crutches) eliminated their impairment.
Employed: People in the working-age population who, during the week ended
3 March 2013, did at least one of the following:
 worked for pay, profit, or income for an hour or more
 worked without pay in a family business or family farm
 usually worked in a job, business, or farm, but were not working during
the week ended 3 March 2013 for some reason.
Employed full-time: usually working 30 or more hours per week.
Employed part-time: usually working fewer than 30 hours per week.
Employment rate: the number of employed people as a percentage of the
number of people in the working-age population.
Labour force: people in the working-age population who during the week
ended 3 March 2013 were either ‘employed’ or ‘unemployed’.
Labour force participation rate: the number or people in the labour force as
a percentage of the number of people in the working-age population.
Not in the labour force: people of working age who were neither employed
nor unemployed. This includes those who: were retired; had personal or family
responsibilities, such as unpaid housework and childcare; attended at least
one educational institution; were permanently unable to work; were
temporarily unavailable for work in the week ended 3 March 2013; were not
actively seeking work.
Statistical significance: the difference between estimates for two groups is
described as ‘statistically significant’ if the probability that it occurred by
chance alone is low. Statistical significance is usually expressed in terms of a
p-value. The smaller the p-value, the less likely it is the results are due to
chance (and more likely the results are true). We used a p-value of 0.05 to
identify statistically significant findings in this report. Differences reported in
the report are statistically significant unless otherwise stated.
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Disability and the labour market: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey
Unemployed: people in the working-age population who, during the week
ended 3 March 2013, were without a paid job and:
 were available for work and had actively sought work in the four weeks
ended 3 March 2013
 had a new job to start within the next four weeks.
If a person’s only job-search method was to read job advertisements then they
are not considered to be actively seeking work.
Unemployment rate: the number of unemployed people as a percentage of
the number of people in the labour force.
Working-age population: the usually resident, non-institutionalised, civilian
population of New Zealand aged 15 years and over on census night.
29