2/11/25 - U.S. employment, French housing, and checking in on flu and COVID
nTIDE February 2025 Jobs Report: Labor Force Participation Rate for People with Disabilities Hits an All-Time High
Center for Research on Disability, University of New Hampshire - February 7, 2025
"Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 41.3 percent in December 2024 to 42.0 percent in January 2025 (up 1.7 percent or 0.7 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate remained the same at 77.7 percent for both months."
Interpreting disability employment stats in the U.S. always involves a glass half full / glass half empty balance. It's encouraging that rates as of January are higher than they have ever been, and part of an overall positive trend for disabled people's employment. But we still have to keep in mind that this "all-time high" is still remarkably low, compared to employment rates for non-disabled people. It seems like progress on employment is always going to be a gradual process. And it's frankly hard to imagine any specific strategy, program, or policy that could significantly change things for the better. On the other hand, it's easy to imagine certain policy changes – like cutting way back on work from home opportunities or eliminating efforts to recruit disabled people for federal jobs – eroding most or all of the recent progress we have seen.
Locked out of decent housing, disabled residents in France struggle for dignity
Lara Bullens, France 24 - February 7, 2025
"But two years later, the French government passed a housing law (ELAN law) that went directly against Macron's campaign promise and reduced the requirement for new homes to be accessible to people with disabilities from 100 to 10 percent. The aim was to stimulate the housing market by easing certain regulations, which would encourage a building boom and potentially bring down rent prices."
There is a lot in this article I could focus on. But this bit quoted above caught my attention. Housing has been a growing concern here in the U.S. as well. And a lot of the ideas discussed for increasing the housing stock and thereby lowering costs involve scaling back "regulations." So I'm worried that at some point in the near future, we will see even our rather pathetic requirements for housing accessibility reduced, making housing accessibility even worse. I don't know about 100% accessibility in new housing construction. But I do think that certain basic accessibility features should be included in at least most new housing – including stand-alone houses and apartments. I'll have a look around for articles on basic housing accessibility. Subscribers, please feel free to share any you know of in the comments.
Flu cases rise again, while COVID takes a back seat
Rob Stein, National Public Radio - February 7, 2025
"Many people are feeling lousy right now as the winter stew of respiratory viruses simmers. But there are a couple of unusual trends driving all the coughing, sneezing and fevers this year."
I'm a bit of a broken record on this. But it's still important to keep in mind that several kinds of disabilities and chronic illnesses make people extra vulnerable to viral, communicable sicknesses like COVID and flu. Plus, many of us who aren't more likely to catch flu, COVID, RSV, etc. do have a much harder time coping with them. It's critically important that we continue to have access to reliable, up-to-date data on rates of these infections in the areas where we live. I checked the CDC respiratory illness page today, and found that flu rates are very high, and COVID rates are moderately high. I hope this information is accurate, and that it continues to be updated and reported – despite the Trump administration's attempts to strangle public health communications.
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