Intersectional Inequalities in Employment: Race, Age, Gender and Work Disability in 2023

• In Event: Disability in Society Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4. Education and Work

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between work disability and employment status among American working-age adults, and whether this relationship differs by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Using data from the 2023 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC), multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to predict employment status (employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force) as a function of work disability status, with age, sex, and race and ethnicity tested as moderators. The study hypothesized that work disability would be associated with lower relative risk of employment and higher relative risk of being unemployed or out of the labor force, and that this disadvantage would be more pronounced among older adults, women, and racial and ethnic minorities. Findings largely confirmed the first hypothesis. Work disability was strongly associated with being out of the labor force, even after adjusting for sociodemographic controls. The second hypothesis was partially confirmed. The work disability penalty was greater among older adults and Non-Hispanic Black adults, consistent with expectations. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the disadvantage was more pronounced among men rather than women. These patterns suggest that structural factors such as age discrimination, gendered work expectations, racial segregation in employment opportunities, and unequal access to workplace accommodations may compound the employment challenges associated with work disability. While this study tests two-way interactions between work disability and each demographic characteristic separately rather than their simultaneous intersection, it moves beyond assumptions of universal effects by testing heterogeneity across key demographic groups, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of work disability related employment disparities.

Author

• Qiyu Deng, Syracuse University