Vita e disabilità

Employment

Only one in three people with disabilities works

Among the approximately 3 million Italians with severe limitations, only 32.5% are employed, up slightly from 29.9% in 2009, according to Istat data

by Silvia Pasqualotto

2 December 2024

4' min read

Key points

Women doubly penalised
The Weight of Age
Employment
The role of cooperatives
The necessary media

4' min read

They want it, they are entitled to it and yet they struggle to get it. Work in Italy for people with disabilities, especially those with severe limitations, continues to be a chimera. According to the latest ISTAT data available, among the approximately 3 million Italians (equal to 5% of the population) with severe limitations (i.e. the highest degree of difficulty in at least one of the motor or sensory functions or in the essential activities of daily life) only 32.5% have a job, compared to 55% of those with non-serious limitations.

A percentage that has grown very little in recent years, given that in 2009 (the first year available in ISTAT surveys) the share of employed people was 29.9%. On the other hand, the number of job seekers has increased from 13.8% in 2009 to 20% in 2021. However, the growth in demand was not matched by an increase in job opportunities and thus employment.

Women doubly penalised

As with the general employment figures, it is women who suffer the most: only 26.7 per cent work, compared to 36.3 per cent of men. And even when the work is there, things do not always go in the right direction. A recent survey on the relationship between women with disabilities and the world of work, promoted by the women's group of the Italian Federation for Overcoming Disability (Fish), revealed a critical situation of poor inclusion and inequality.

In fact, 21% of the 160 women who participated in the survey stated that both in terms of inclusion and accessibility their workplace is not adequate. Among the barriers reported were cultural prejudice and companies' lack of sensitivity to inclusion issues. A situation also linked to the fact that only 10.6% of workplaces have a disability manager. Women also denounce inequality in pay (18.8%) and discrimination linked to disability status, which affects as many as 34.8%. The data on harassment is also worrying: 11% of respondents have suffered physical, verbal or psychological harassment in the workplace.

The Weight of Age

Apart from women, those who struggle most to find employment are the more mature, those between 45 and 64 years of age. As many as 62.2 per cent are unemployed or looking for work. As a result, many end up taking unrewarding jobs or remain outside the labour market. A situation also favoured by the fact that, according to statistics, most people with severe disabilities have low levels of education.

Specifically, 57.6% have a secondary school leaving certificate, 35% have a diploma and only 7.4% have a university degree. For the same reason, people with disabilities generally reach lower positions: about 54% are blue collar workers or self-employed (50.4% in the rest of the population), 46% are managers, freelancers or executives (49.6% in the rest of the population).

Job placement

Yet in Italy regulations to promote the employment of persons with disabilities have existed for many years and even anticipated the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in 2008. The main regulation is law number 68 of 1999, which introduced on the one hand binding hiring quotas for companies (with more than 15 employees) and reductions and incentives for employers, and on the other hand the so-called targeted employment based on the idea of finding the job best suited to the person's abilities and needs. The aim of the law is, at least on paper, to achieve the social inclusion and self-realisation for which work should be a vehicle. Such low employment rates, however, tell of a different reality in which a decidedly non-inclusive work culture still prevails. The eleventh annual report to parliament on the state of implementation of the 1999 law for the right to work of the disabled recently revealed, for example, that there are many companies that do not comply with their recruitment obligations. A problem also linked to the fact that the penalties (EUR 196.05 per day for each disabled person not hired), theoretically provided for by the law, have been only a few hundred in recent years.

The role of cooperatives

In order to fulfil the obligations provided for by Law 68/1999 for the employment of disabled persons, companies, in addition to hiring directly, can also entrust the work order to a social cooperative (Art. 14 of Legislative Decree 276/03- Biagi Law). In practice, it is possible to delegate to such a cooperative the selection, training and management of the staff hired. In this way, disabled people enter a work placement project with a dedicated tutor and within an environment that is sensitive to and prepared for the training and work management of specific disabilities.

Social cooperatives operate in a nationally regulated system, but the regions play a crucial role in recognising and regulating their work through conventions and specific regulations. This ensures coordination between the public system and the cooperative sector, leaving room for a certain degree of operational autonomy on the part of cooperatives. To give some examples, in Veneto 281 conventions are currently active (+ 44% compared to 2022), involving 560 people with disabilities, 256 companies and 85 social cooperatives. The most active is the province of Treviso with 89 agreements and 203 disabled people who have found a job (Veneto lavoro data).

The necessary supports

Support for job placement is also lacking. According to data collected by the European disability forum, only 1 in 4 employers have developed accessible recruitment processes. And more than 80% of employers do not have a plan for acquiring assistive technologies. In addition to physical barriers, relational and communication barriers are also obstacles to labour inclusion. A study conducted by the Boston consulting group in 16 countries revealed how the fear of being discriminated against often leads people to hide their condition. The research showed, for example, that companies underestimate the number of employees with disabilities. According to companies, the number is between 4 and 7 per cent, while as many as 25 per cent of the employees surveyed admitted to having a disability but kept it hidden for fear of being discriminated against.