The presentation by Reigne Dadey, a PhD student in health policy, focused on labor demand and disability employment. Key findings include a significant increase in employment among disabled people since 2012, driven by workplace flexibility and work-from-home accommodations. Data from the CPS, ACS, and Social Security Administration showed that disabled individuals, particularly those with autism, intellectual disabilities, and mood disorders, have higher employment rates and wage growth in response to labor demand. The empirical strategy used a shift-share research design to estimate labor demand. Future work will explore the impact of job characteristics and workplace accessibility on disabled employment.
We invited Reigne Dadey because this topic is directly connected to our Center’s current work. Our Center is studying how employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the United States may be shaped by contemporary hiring practices and trends. Presentations like Reigne Dadey’s help place our Center’s research within a broader body of empirical evidence and support our commitment to rigorous research on employment pathways for people with disabilities.