3 December - International Day of Persons with Disabilities
People with a disability or long-standing health problems are more likely to report that they have little or no autonomy in their job. This concerns 38 % compared to 30 % of the total working population aged 15 to 64. This is what emerged from the figures of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, based on the Labour Force Survey 2019.
One quarter (26 %) of people aged 15-64 in Belgium who are severely hampered by a disability or long-standing health problems have a job. Almost half of them (48 %) receive special assistance in their workplace. This mainly involves an adapted range of tasks.
When people are severely hampered by a disability, a long-standing illness or condition, this also has a clear impact on their work situation: only 26 % of them have a job, while for the total population aged 15 to 64 the figure is 65 %.
Their unemployment rate (8 %) is also higher than that of the total population (5 %). However, the large majority (72 %) of people severely hampered are inactive. This means that they do not have a job, are not looking for a job and/or are not available for work. Of those who work, 39 % work part-time, compared to one quarter of the total Belgian population. Of the women among them, 55 % work part-time. This is 42 % of women in the total Belgian population aged 15-64.
Situation in relation to the labour market
| 15-64 | Severely hampered | Total population |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 8% | 5% |
| Employment rate | 26% | 65% |
| Percentage inactive people | 72% | 31% |
Working population: Full-time/part-time
| 15-64 | Severely hampered | Total population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |
| men | 78% | 22% | 90% | 10% |
| women | 45% | 55% | 58% | 42% |
| total | 61% | 39% | 75% | 25% |
Working population per professional status
| 15-64 | Severely hampered | Total population |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector | 64% | 66% |
| Public sector | 24% | 20% |
| Self-employed people | 11% | 14% |
Less autonomy in the job and in arranging working hours
Working persons who are severely hampered by a disability or a long-standing health problem have less influence on the content and order of their tasks: 38 % say they have little or no influence on this compared to 30 % of people aged 15 to 64 with a job. People who are severely hampered are also less able to determine the start and end of their working hours themselves. It is also more difficult for them to take some hours or days off.