Employment rate for people with a learning disability remains at 4.8%

The statistics for adults with a learning disability and autism known to adult social care, have remained consistently low across the country and the latest figures published December 2023 show that the figure remains at 4.8% .

The definition for Indicator 1E was changed in 2015-16 and now only includes those adults with learning disabilities included in the Short and Long Term (SALT) Data Return as receiving long-term support because of their learning disability.

• 2021-22 : 4.8% ( Male 5.3 %, Female 4.1%) 
• 2020-21: 5.1% ( Male 5.7%, Female 4.4%) 
• 2019-20: 5.6% (Male: 6.2%, Female: 4.8%)
• 2018-19: 5.9% (Male: 6.4%, Female: 5.2%)

Employment rate for adults in contact with secondary metal health services has remains at 6%

This compares to previous years' figures:

• 2021-22: 6% ( Male 5%, Female 7% )
• 2020-21: 9% ( Male: 7%, Female: 11%) 
• 2019-20: 9% (Male: 8%, Female: 11%)
• 2018-19: 8% (Male: 7%, Female: 10%)

The full set of reports is available on the NHS Digital website.

2010-11 was the last year of the NIS indicators and the Social Care and Mental Health indicators were replaced by the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework for 2011-12 onwards.

NI146 and NI150 appear in the new framework as Indicators 1E and 1F, although there are some changes to the definitions.

The Disability Employment Gap

Data taken from the Employment Outcomes For Disabled People in the UK: 2021.

Between July and September 2021, 53.5% of disabled people aged 16 to 64 years in the UK were employed compared with 81.6% of non-disabled people. While similar patterns were seen for both sexes, a larger gap was seen in the employment rate between disabled and non-disabled men (31.1 percentage points) than for women (24.8 percentage points).