Finding a job with a disability remains difficult, even in a tight market 12:30 in Economy Last year, 3,400 fewer people with a disability went to work than a year earlier.

Although companies are struggling with a chronic shortage of personnel, people with disabilities are still often unable to find a job. Last year, 3,400 fewer people with disabilities went to work through a social development company than the year before. This is evident from new figures from Cedris, the association that advocates an inclusive labor market.

Of the 260,000 people with a disability who were in a special register last year to find a job, approximately half of 125,000 failed to find work at a social development company. These are companies that specialize in helping people with disabilities find and keep a job.

The companies receive help from municipalities, but according to Cedris, they operate very differently. Some municipalities offer much more support than others. The organization speaks of an alarming picture.

“With the glaring labor shortages, it is inexplicable that a group is involuntarily on the sidelines because guidance is not provided,” says chairman Mohamed El Mokaddem. He states that it depends on the political will of a municipality which options people are given.

It also bothers Cedris that those who do get a job earn little because they cannot work full-time due to their disability. On average, people work 28.7 hours per week, which means they earn 445 euros less per month than the minimum wage, according to the organization. “These employees also deserve to live without financial worries,” El Mokaddem emphasizes.