SITUATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE POLISH LABOR MARKET

Work is an important component of individual life. To disabled people, it is of particular importance because in addition to helping them address their material needs, it prevents social exclusion and is part of integration and rehabilitation processes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to assess the labor market situation of the working-age disabled population. This paper also includes a comparative analysis between the situation of disabled and able-bodied persons to explore the significant differences in economic activity, employment and unemployment ratios. The data analysis suggests that the labor market situation of working-age disabled people was much more difficult than that of able-bodied persons. In 2011-2018, the average activity rate for disabled people was 27%, i.e. 51 percentage points below the corresponding ratio for able-bodied people. In turn, the average unemployment rate for persons with impairments was 13.3%, compared to 7.7% for people without impairments. The average employment rate for disabled and able-bodied persons was 23% and 72%, respectively. The disadvantages faced by disabled people are driven by many factors, including socio-demographic aspects. Legal regulations as well as attitudes of employers, collaborators, the society and the disabled people also play a considerable role.