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Disabled unemployment in Canada is 53% higher than non-disabled workers – where are the Federal HRDC programs to address this issue?

PROLOG Disabled unemployment may exceed 15% in Canada

In 2006 the rate of unemployment for the disabled in Canada was 10.4% but with the recession that is estimated to be greater than 14.7%.

Where are the Federal HRDC programs to address this issue?

The disabled are usually the last hired and the first fired in a downturn.

Even those numbers are low since they only represent the disabled actively looking for work. The real unemployment rate among the disabled approaches 30%.

The current 8.7% unemployment rate is based on 800,000 people qualifying for employment insurance. 1.6 million Canadians were estimated to be out of work in August 2009.

As of the last survey in 2006, Statistics Canada reported unemployment for Canadians with disabilities at 10.4% whereas for those without an disability unemployment is 6.8% as of 2006. See: Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006:Labour Force Experience

That represents a 53% higher unemployment rate if you are one of Canada’s 4.4 million disabled.

The disabled represent the largest demographic group in Canada. Seniors are the next largest with 4.3 million seniors in 2006.

In the US, estimates are higher – almost 30% unemployment among American disabled workers.

On PEI in 2006, the rate of unemployment for the disabled was 16.6% versus 11.1% without a disability. Today unemployment among the disabled who are looking for work is estimated at 22.6% on Prince Edward Island.

Only Newfoundland and Nunavut have higher rates of disabled unemployment.

Government programs to assist employment of persons with disabilities have failed to even the playing field. The Province of PEI has no effective program to ensure employment equity for the disabled.

Federal government programs for the employment of the disabled are largely regular unemployment programs with minor modifications.

Employment and economic well-being are tied together which explains why the disabled make up the largest group of Canadians living in poverty.

Where are the unemployment programs targeted at the disabled who are unemployed?

Rates for the disabled versus the non-disabled by Province. as of the last Statistics Canada survey in 2006

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