5. What are the Determinants of the Disability Unemployment Gap?

In some countries the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is lower compared to people without disabilities. Countries where the disability unemployment gap is negative tend to have a low economic growth rate. A feasible explanation for this phenomenon could be a lack of reliable data in countries with a negative disability–unemployment gap to accurately measure the unemployment rates, particularly for people with disabilities. However, other explanations are also possible. Firstly, there might exist a strong correlation between a country’s living standards and its disability unemployment gap. If this is the case, then countries with a negative disability unemployment gap may also have a lower living standard. In these countries, the governments may lack the financial resources to provide sufficient welfare services to people with disabilities. During periods of slower economic growth, some people with disabilities would have no other choice but to find work even when job opportunities are scarce. As a result, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities will be lower. Secondly, in countries with a low economic growth rate some people with disabilities might be discouraged from looking for a job. Therefore, they have given up all hope to seek employment and decided to not participate in the labour force. A high number of discouraged workers among people with disabilities will lower their unemployment rate.

Admittedly, it could be difficult to classify which country can be considered an English-speaking nation without running into some controversies and debates. However, the following 56 countries are often identified as English-speaking nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, the Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Browning and Tonra, 2009; McGarry, 1995; Vucetic, 2011).