{"id":7690,"date":"2023-08-02T20:34:52","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T20:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/forecasts-suggest-more-opportunity-for-workers-with-disabilities\/"},"modified":"2023-08-02T20:34:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T20:34:53","slug":"forecasts-suggest-more-opportunity-for-workers-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=7690","title":{"rendered":"Forecasts Suggest More Opportunity For Workers With Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Think tanks, government entities and economists consistently provide us with data and projections about employment and occupational trends. Whether it\u2019s by month, year or into the future, they provide us with a steady diet of updates that might affect our workforce. We\u2019re left wondering if we\u2019ll be able to recruit and train enough workers to meet the demands of our industry and company. Or, if we\u2019ll need to streamline our employee population to drive profitability in the face of a slowing economy.<\/p>\n

These are just a couple of the many questions employers face when they see projections about employment and industries gaining and shrinking. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), through the Employment Projections program has released its 10-year projections covering more than 800 occupations and nearly 300 industries. The study reports that U.S. employment is anticipated to grow 5.3% adding roughly 8.3 million new jobs during the period of 2021 \u2013 2031. It further highlights the industries and jobs that will grow and decline.<\/p>\n

While this data is significant to the workforce overall, it may be even more important to workers with disabilities and companies that employ them. Can people with disabilities or chronic illnesses count on their employers to meet their accessibility needs? And for those industries and occupations that are expected to grow in the next decade, will they provide the culture, workplace accommodations and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) to attract and retain capable workers with disabilities?<\/p>\n

Key Industries To Experience Growth Or Decline In Next Decade<\/strong><\/p>\n

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According to the BLS\u2019s Employment Projections, the industries expected to add the most jobs from 2021 \u2013 2031 are:<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Healthcare, accounting for one-quarter of the 8.3 million jobs projected in the 10-year period.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Food preparation and serving.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Management.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Transportation and material moving.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Business and financial.<\/p>\n

In our work with clients re-entering the workforce in the past six months, we have observed an increase in retail, health care, transportation, customer service, food service, security, education and janitorial jobs, which supports the BLS long-range projections.<\/p>\n

While the reasons for growth in these sectors are many, a few stand out:<\/p>\n

\u00b7 The aging population requiring more health-related services.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 The acceleration of e-commerce and online shopping.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 The rebound of restaurant dining and catered entertainment events post COVID-19.<\/p>\n

But not every occupational sector is expected to grow. Some occupations will remain flat such as farming, fishing and forestry, while others including production, sales, and office \/administrative are anticipated to decline over the 10-year period. In my experience, this means that people who are returning to the workforce with a disability will need to explore those areas of growth where they may have more opportunity to find jobs that meet their needs. Generally, those returning to work through Social Security\u2019s Ticket to Work Program look for job security, livable wages, flexible work schedules, benefits, more purposeful work, safe working conditions and supportive management.<\/p>\n

Employment Networks Help Prepare SSDI Beneficiaries For Jobs <\/strong><\/p>\n

In February 2023, the BLS reported that approximately 25% of people with disabilities are working in skilled trade professions with the largest share, 37%, in transportation. Other sectors where workers with disabilities are utilizing their trade skills are:<\/p>\n