Adventures in Modern Life: Who's is the most unemployed?

by Ben Mattlin

Before USA Today published my op-ed, a fact checker questioned my assertion that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities exceeds that of African-Americans.

Not that she doubted it to be true. She simply needed a source. I LOVE fact checkers; some may say they're a nuisance, but I for one feel better when my writing is thoroughly vetted for accuracy before it goes out to the public. I gave her more than she bargained for.

First, I conceded, it is true that the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that unemployment among employment-age Americans with disabilities was 13.8%. But the same body also reported that African-Americans had an unemployment rate of 10.1%--until the economy worsened. Then unemployment for African-Americans rose to 13.4%, as of February 2009, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor and reported in many places such as Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2009: "The overall unemployment rate for blacks in February climbed to 13.4%..."

There is no such recent government measure for people with disabilities.

What's more, experts point out that the government statistics reflect only those who are still actively seeking employment, leaving out the many folks who have given up.

The difference can be staggering, as several academic estimates demonstrate.

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