Work-Limiting Health Conditions and Employment: What BLS Reported in 2025
In September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data on people ages 16 to 75 with health conditions or difficulties that limit work.
The data came from the July 2024 Disability Supplement to the Current Population Survey.
BLS reported that 30.7 million people, or 12.4% of the population ages 16 to 75, had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty in July 2024.
Here are some of the key findings.
What does BLS mean by a work-limiting health condition or difficulty?
BLS used the term to describe health conditions or difficulties that limit work.
The agency notes that this was a new concept collected in the July 2024 CPS supplement.
Importantly, BLS measures disability separately using a different set of questions focused on functional limitations. About half of people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty—15.8 million people—also met the CPS disability measure.
How many people reported a work-limiting health condition or difficulty?
BLS reported that 30.7 million people ages 16 to 75 had at least one work-limiting health condition or difficulty in July 2024.
That represented 12.4% of the civilian noninstitutional population in that age group.
The most commonly reported type was a mobility impairment.
What did the employment data show?
Among people ages 16 to 75 with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty:
27.1% participated in the labor force
24.3% were employed
The unemployment rate was 10.5%
For people without a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, BLS reported:
74.7% labor force participation
71.4% employment
4.3% unemployment
BLS also notes that the older age profile of people with work-limiting health conditions or difficulties partly contributes to the difference in the overall employment-population ratio.
What changes did workers request or make?
BLS also asked employed people about changes they had requested or made in their current jobs to help them do their work better.
Among workers with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, 31.8% had requested or made such a change.
The most commonly reported changes involved:
Work schedules — 47.8%
Work tasks — 36.0%
Telework — 17.8%
New or modified equipment — 16.7%
BLS describes these as changes workers requested or made to help them do their current jobs better.
What does the data show?
The BLS report provides a national snapshot of people with health conditions or difficulties that limit work.
It found that 30.7 million people ages 16 to 75 fell into this category and provided data on their labor force participation, employment, unemployment, and workplace changes requested or made.
The report measures these outcomes. It does not, by itself, establish the causes behind differences between groups.
From Workforce Data to Employment Access
BLS reports national data on employment, unemployment, labor-force participation, and workplace changes among people with work-limiting health conditions or difficulties.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a work-limiting health condition the same as a disability?
No.
BLS treats work-limiting health conditions or difficulties and disability as separate CPS measures. A person may fall into both categories, but they are not identical.
How many people had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty?
BLS reported 30.7 million people ages 16 to 75, or 12.4% of that population, in July 2024.
How many workers requested or made changes to help them do their jobs better?
Among employed people with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, 31.8% had requested or made a change in their current job.
Related Articles
National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2025: What the DOL Observance Was About
Career Paths by Education Level: What BLS Projected for 2024–2034
Sources & References
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, September 30). People with health conditions or difficulties that limit work — July 2024. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/dissup_09302025.htm
