Oklahoma’s Workforce
A growing topic in workforce development conversations is how to engage individuals who have experienced barriers entering the workforce, or untapped talent. These populations can include anyone from military spouses to people aged 60 years and older. For this report, we focus on three populations including individuals with disabilities, individuals with justice-involved backgrounds, and veterans. Summary data is also provided for rates of homelessness. Untapped Talent Populations Individuals with disabilities Based on research conducted by Cornell University in the 2022 Disability Status Report for Oklahoma, 17.5% of all Oklahomans reported having a disability. Of those who are of working age (21-64 years), 15.8% have a disability compared to the national rate of 11.1%. The employment rate (both part-time and full-time work) for individuals with disabilities in Oklahoma is 43.9% compared to the national average of 45%. In addition, the difference between full-time employment for working-age people was 31.8% lower for individuals with a disability compared to those working full-time without a disability. Veterans with a service-connected disability make up 42.6% of working-age veterans in Oklahoma. Individuals with disabilities in Oklahoma experience a poverty rate of 26% compared to all individuals at 15.7%. Figure 8 outlines the percentage of individuals with disabilities in Oklahoma by gender and age.
Figure 8. Source: 2022 Disability Status Report for Oklahoma
WorkTrends 2024
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