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The gap between employed disabled and non-disabled people in Suffolk has increased by four percentage points in the past year, new government figures show.
Why it matters: The widening employment gap suggests disabled people in Suffolk are facing increasing barriers to work, even as national employment rates for disabled people have remained stable.
By the numbers:
57% of disabled people in Suffolk are employed, compared to 83% of non-disabled people
This creates a 26 percentage point "disability employment gap"
The gap has grown from 22 percentage points last year
Suffolk has seen an 11% decrease in disabled employment since last year
Nationally, 55% of disabled people are in employment
The big picture: While Suffolk's disabled employment rate remains slightly above the national average of 55%, the local trend is concerning. National rates have improved from 44% a decade ago but have stagnated over the last five years.
What they're saying:
"The disability employment gap has barely shifted in a decade," said James Taylor, executive director of strategy at Scope. "Huge numbers of disabled people want to work but are denied the opportunity."
Ken Butler from Disability Rights UK called for a complete rethink of the benefits system, which he says "demonises" rather than supports disabled people seeking work.
Looking ahead: Labour has pledged to:
Increase the UK employment rate from 75% to 80%
Implement local plans for work, health and skills support
Reform the benefits system to encourage employment
Sir Stephen Timms MP, minister for social security and disability, said the government's Get Britain Working Plan will provide "joined-up health and employment support" to help people get back into work.
The bottom line: While disabled employment in Suffolk remains marginally above the national average, the significant local decrease of 11% over the past year suggests more targeted support may be needed to reverse the trend.
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