DEED’s mission is to empower the growth of Minnesota’s economy for everyone by reducing employment disparities and promoting an equitable work environment. For the Labor Market Information Office, this means paying close attention to the specific labor market challenges faced by populations with barriers to employment. People with disabilities can face significant barriers to employment – and many Minnesotans have a disability. As of 2018, more than 600,000 Minnesota residents reported having at least one disability, comprising 11 percent of the state’s population.

As detailed in Disability Employment Statistics: 2018 Update by Sanjukta Chaudhuri in the most recent edition of Minnesota Economic Trends, people living with disabilities in Minnesota tend to have lower educational attainment, worse labor market outcomes, and higher poverty rates than those with no disabilities. The annual labor force participation rate in 2018 was 84 percent for all Minnesotans, but only 54.1 percent for Minnesotans living with disabilities. However, the labor force participation rate for Minnesotans living with disabilities showed major positive momentum, increasing 4.1 percentage points over the five-year period, up from 50 percent in 2014. The participation rate for all Minnesotans remained steady over the same time period.

DEED is dedicated to welcoming people with disabilities to Minnesota’s workforce and fostering inclusive workplace environments that honor the abilities of all Minnesota workers. DEED’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) helps Minnesotans with disabilities prepare for and find fulfilling employment. VRS also has disability employment specialists who help employers recruit, hire and retain employees with disabilities.

Minnesota Economic Trends is the quarterly magazine from DEED’s Labor Market Information Office that provides expert analysis of the state's labor market, industries and economy.