Paul Martin commentary
It’s a hidden or under-utilized.
Saskatchewan employers have a running battle with the challenges of finding people to fill spots on their payroll. We are usually near the top of the list of provinces when looking at job vacancies or positions that have been created by employers but are yet to be filled.
One talent pool that may provide some relief is in the community of people with disabilities.
This is AccessAbility week which prompted StatsCan to examine this cohort of the workforce. It found that about 40-percent of those with disabilities between the ages of 25 and 64 who were unemployed or not in the labor force had work potential. That figure rose to 67-percent for those under 45 years of age.
The study also found that about one-third of those with disabilities and are working were over-qualified for the positions they currently hold, usually because they had achieved education levels above the requirements for their position. This was even more evident among immigrants with disabilities.
