Employment: Hearing Impairment
(asked on 9th March 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people (a) with hearing loss and (b) who list their primary medical condition as difficulty in hearing in employment were in employment as (i) an employee, (ii) self-employed, (iii) unpaid family workers and (iv) part of a Government supported training and employment programme in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
The available data for disabled people is shown in the tables below.
Information on unpaid family workers for people with difficulty in hearing is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Information on people with hearing loss and difficulty in hearing on supported training and employment programmes is not held by the department.
Number and proportion of disabled people by labour market status and main health condition, 16 to 64, UK:
| All disabled people | ||||
Labour market status | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Total | 7,470,000 | 7,820,000 | 8,270,000 | 8,280,000 | 9,010,000 |
In employment | 50.8% | 51.4% | 53.5% | 52.3% | 54.3% |
Employee | 42.3% | 43.2% | 45.2% | 44.8% | 46.7% |
Self-employed | 8.0% | 7.8% | 8.0% | 7.1% | 7.4% |
Unemployed | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 4.2% |
Economically inactive | 44.4% | 43.9% | 42.4% | 43.1% | 41.5% |
Student | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 4.2% | 4.0% |
Looking after family / home | 6.7% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.8% |
Temporary sick | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
Long-term sick | 25.6% | 25.1% | 24.6% | 24.8% | 23.9% |
Retired | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
Other reasons | 2.7% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 2.8% |
| Difficulty in hearing | ||||
Labour market status | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Total | 70,000 | 70,000 | 80,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
In employment | 64.9% | 61.1% | 63.8% | 66.5% | 67.7% |
Employee | 55.6% | 52.0% | 56.1% | 60.3% | 62.5% |
Self-employed | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.0% | 5.2% | 5.0% |
Unemployed | 4.3% | 6.7% | 6.0% | 5.8% | 3.5% |
Economically inactive | 30.8% | 32.1% | 30.2% | 27.7% | 28.7% |
Student | 1.5% | 4.4% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
Looking after family / home | 5.7% | 7.0% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 7.1% |
Temporary sick | 0.3% | 1.8% | 1.3% | .. | 0.3% |
Long-term sick | 16.0% | 9.2% | 9.4% | 6.8% | 2.3% |
Retired | 4.0% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 5.9% | 3.1% |
Other reasons | 3.4% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 6.4% |
Source: Annual Population Survey (APS).
Underlying data (except employee and self-employed breakdowns for disabled people with difficulty in hearing) is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2022.
Notes:
- Estimates in this table are subject to sampling variation and their precision limited by sample sizes.
- Estimates for disabled people with difficulty in hearing are based on small sample sizes and should be used with caution.
- Numbers are shown to the nearest 10,000. Percentages are calculated using unrounded figures and shown to one decimal place.
- Disabled people are likely to report more than one long-term health condition (57% in 2021/22). Where more than one condition is reported the main health condition given is the one that has the biggest impact on a person’s day-to-day activities.
- The way a person self-reports a long-term health condition and its impact can change over time. Nearly one in three people classed as being disabled one year were no longer classed as being disabled the next (2014 to 2021).
- Reason for economic inactivity (such as student or looking after family / home) is the main reason given.
- Other reasons include discouraged workers.
- ".." = no data.