The relationship between employment, gender, and living arrangements for working-Age adults with disabilities

BACKGROUND: Although prior studies have explored the demographic and health factors that influence the relationship between disability and employment for working-Age adults, relatively little is known about how living arrangements and gender affect this relationship. OBJECTIVE: This study addresses that gap in knowledge by examining how employment status varies by gender and living arrangements for working-Age adults with disabilities. METHODS: Using 2014 American Community Survey (ACS) data, we used logistic regression analysis to estimate the likelihood of employment by gender and living arrangement in a nationally representative sample of 195,236 adults (18-64 years old) with disabilities. RESULTS: More than one-Third of working-Age adults with disabilities were employed (37.7% of men and 31.7% of women, p < 0.001). Both men and women who lived alone had higher odds of employment, compared with living with a spouse only, but the difference was more pronounced among women (OR for men: 1.5, p < 0.001; OR for women: 3.3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The amount of support that working-Age adults with disabilities need to successfully participate in employment may vary by both gender and living arrangement, and both factors should be taken into account in designing programs and targeting outreach efforts to support individuals with disabilities.