Ready to work – why Australian employers need people with disability
Published date: August 9, 2022
Last updated: December 2, 2025
Author: My Plan Manager
Not unlike the rental vacancy rate, Australia’s unemployment rate has fallen to just 3.5 per cent. Meanwhile, there are more than 100,000 Australians with disability actively looking for work.
That means employers need workers and people with disability make great employees.
However, new research released by social enterprise Jigsaw Australia – which surveyed 500 Australian managers and HR professionals – shows:
- 50 per cent of those managers have never hired or (knowingly) worked with a person with disability
- 91 per cent of those who have hired a person with disability have experienced challenges hiring them through Disability Employment Services (DES); and
- Employers are keen have a more inclusive and diverse workforce – but they are lost in getting started.
Jigsaw supports school leavers with disability with training, expertise and soft skills crucial to finding and keeping a fulfilling job.
Read more from Kathryn Mills, Jigsaw Adelaide’s Community Engagement Lead.
August 9, 2022
Recent posts
The cost of NDIS price cuts
September 29, 2025
Friction-free NDIS claims
September 25, 2025
Build your NDIS client list by creating meaningful support coordinator connections
September 24, 2025
10 ways to keep your NDIS plan on track without a support coordinator
September 24, 2025
What we check before an NDIS invoice gets paid – and why it matters
September 24, 2025
You may also like...
Coles tops the list for recruiting workforce with disabilityMore than 1 million Australians with disability of working age are unemployed and the unemployment rate of people with disability increased from eight per cent in 2003 to 10 per cent in 2018. But fast forward to today, and one retailer is bucking that trend. Coles Group has been ranked first out of 26 organisations for actively recruiting people with disability.
Your vote counts - exercising your right to voteVoting – it’s how you have your say about who you want to represent you in local, state/territory or federal politics. You have the right to vote and your vote counts, so it’s important you’re prepared well before election day. It’s compulsory that everyone who’s eligible enrols to vote and votes on election day (or through another means). It’s also important to be enrolled well before an election so you’re eligible to vote when the time comes.
Enjoying the great outdoors on wheelsThe outdoors is for everyone, and in South Australia, the government is investing to make it more accessible, with all-terrain wheelchairs and electric trikes now available at popular tourist spots.
Personal stories bring IDPwD to lifeThe stories and successes of people with lived experience were celebrated across the globe on 3 December, during International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). Challenging the way the community thinks about disability, and helping to grow a more inclusive Australia, IDPwD 2022 was underscored by the appointment of ambassadors from around the country, who pledged support to help promote the achievements and contributions of people with disability and champion inclusion.