Increase in Remote Work Leads to Record Employment for People with Disabilities

The article, "Surge in remote working due to COVID fuels record employment for people with disabilities", discusses how the increase in the use of remote work and a labor shortage have led to opportunities for some of the nation’s most skilled and underused workers. Since the pandemic began, employment of people with disabilities is up almost 25% and the jobless rate for these workers dropped to 5.8% in November. The shift to remote work has been especially helpful for people with physical and mobility difficulties.

The article also covers the topics:

• How much companies will increase opportunities for people with disabilities or allow them to keep working remotely as the economy takes a downward turn.
• Employers are unlikely to guarantee that workers will have the right to work from home in all cases.
• COVID has caused new disagreements about what qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Many corporations' diversity and inclusion efforts don't give disability status the same priority as race and gender.