Abstract
BACKGROUND: Employment has been recognized as an important goal for improving the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Governments at both the federal and state level have invested billions of dollars to encourage better outcomes for adults with ID as they transition out of high school and into the labor force. OBJECTIVE: Given these important efforts, this study documented the employment situation of working-aged adults with intellectual disabilities across the country. METHODS: Respondents included a nationally representative random sample of 1,017 parents/guardians of adult children (21 years of age or older) with an intellectual disability surveyed by Gallup. These parents/guardians were selected from approximately 341,000 households screened by Gallup. This methodology allowed for the inclusion of a sample of adults with ID who had never been in the labor force or even sought employment. RESULTS: The results indicate a troublingly low employment rate for adults with ID and a puzzlingly low number who are even in the labor force. CONCLUSIONS: The employment outlook for adults with ID will continue to be bleak until new ways are found to meaningfully incorporate this population into the labor force.