People with impairments in the labour market: Labour market participation, employment structures and personal assessments

The analysis of the SOEP data focuses on the primary labour market and shows that the employment-related characteristics of people with impair¬ments differ, in some cases significantly, from the average for all employed persons. For example, their labour force participation is lower, they are more likely to work part-time and less likely to be employed in the profession they originally learned. The future expectations of employees with impairments who are affected by the introduction of new tools or technologies at their workplaces, are partly characterized by greater concerns about the impact of these changes. Like the average of all workers, employees with impairments tend to be relatively satisfied with their work, but a lower proportion of them are highly satisfied. They are also more concerned about their own economic situation. Depending on the extent of their disability or reduction in earning capacity, between a quarter and a half of those people with impairments who are currently not participating in the labour market can imagine taking up gainful employment in the future. With this potential source of skilled labour in mind, the study points out various policy options for promoting their participation in the labour market.