2021 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium

Section 4: Industry and Occupation
This section presents statistics on the industries and occupations that employ people in the United States. Statistics are presented for the United States overall and by state for the top four most prevalent industries and occupations among people with disabilities. Industry describes the kind of business conducted by a person’s employing organization. Occupation describes the kind of work a person does on the job. Statistics for people with disabilities (disability status or disability type) are based on having responded ‘yes’ to a series of questions within the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau (see the glossary for more details).
Data on occupation and industry are collected for the American Community Survey respondent’s current primary job or the most recent job for people who are not employed but have worked in the last 5 years. American Community Survey respondents provide written responses describing their kind of business or industry. An automated, standardized coding procedure categorizes responses which are then reviewed by trained staff for accuracy. Industries are categorized based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), published by the Office of Management and Budget. Occupations are categorized based on the Standard Occupational (SOC) Manual, also published by the Office of Management and Budget. American Community Survey data on industry and occupation describe the industrial composition and occupational experiences of the American labor force and are used to formulate employment policy and programs, develop career trainings, provide information on the occupational skills of the labor force, and measure compliance with antidiscrimination policies.
Tables
Table 4.1: In 2020 in the United States, the industry with the greatest number of people with disabilities was Health Care and Social Assistance with 1,188,310 people (14.9 percent).
Table 4.2: In 2020 in the United States, the occupational group with the greatest number of people with disabilities was Office and Administrative Support Occupations with 983,362 people (12.3 percent).
Table 4.3: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in the education services industry was California with 66,893 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in the education services industry was Vermont (13.2 percent).
Table 4.4: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in the manufacturing industry was Texas with 60,351 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in the manufacturing industry was Indiana (19.4 percent).
Table 4.5: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in the retail trade industry was Texas with 100,027 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in the retail trade industry was Rhode Island (19.2 percent).
Table 4.6: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in the health care and social assistance industry was California with 110,576 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in the health care and social assistance industry was South Dakota (21.5 percent).
Table 4.7: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in office and administrative support occupations was California with 93,915 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in office and administrative support occupations was Utah (16.5 percent).
Table 4.8: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in sales and related occupations was Texas with 76,816 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in sales and related occupations was North Dakota (13.8 percent).
Table 4.9: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in transportation and material moving occupations was California with 66,373 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in transportation and material moving occupations was West Virginia (15.0 percent).
Table 4.10: In 2020, the state with the greatest number of people with disabilities employed in management occupations was Texas with 76,081 people. The state with the greatest percentage of people with disabilities employed in management occupations was Alaska (16.6 percent).