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Why Do Workers with Disabilities Earn Less? Occupational Job Requirements and Disability Discrimination

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  • Douglas Kruse
  • Lisa Schur
  • Sean Rogers
  • Mason Ameri

Abstract

We analyse competing explanations for the lower pay of employees with disabilities, using 2008–2014 data from the American Community Survey matched to O*Net data on occupational job requirements. The results indicate that only part of the disability pay gap is due to productivity‐related job requirements. The remaining pay gap — experienced by employees whose impairments should not limit their productivity — reflects potential discrimination. The discrimination‐related pay gaps appear to be smallest and possibly non‐existent for women and men with hearing impairments, and largest for those with cognitive and mobility impairments. Overall the results indicate that discrimination is likely to remain an influence on the pay of many workers with disabilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas Kruse & Lisa Schur & Sean Rogers & Mason Ameri, 2018. "Why Do Workers with Disabilities Earn Less? Occupational Job Requirements and Disability Discrimination," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(4), pages 798-834, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:56:y:2018:i:4:p:798-834
    DOI: 10.1111/bjir.12257
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    3. Mark L. Bryan & Andrew M. Bryce & Jennifer Roberts, 2022. "Dysfunctional presenteeism: Effects of physical and mental health on work performance," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 90(4), pages 409-438, July.
    4. Ameri, Mason & Ali, Mohammad & Schur, Lisa & Kruse, Douglas L., 2019. "Disability and the Unionized Workplace," IZA Discussion Papers 12258, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Wong, Sandy & McLafferty, Sara L. & Planey, Arrianna M. & Preston, Valerie A., 2020. "Disability, wages, and commuting in New York," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    6. Ralph, Kelcie & Morris, Eric A. & Kwon, Jaekyeong, 2022. "Disability, access to out-of-home activities, and subjective well-being," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 209-227.
    7. Maryam Dilmaghani, 2022. "The link between smoking, drinking and wages: Health, workplace social capital or discrimination?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 160-183, March.
    8. Kevin F. Hallock & Xin Jin & Michael Waldman, 2022. "The total compensation gap, wage gap and benefit gap between workers with and without a disability," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(1), pages 3-31, March.
    9. Katie M. Jajtner & Sophie Mitra & Christine Fountain & Austin Nichols, 2020. "Rising Income Inequality Through a Disability Lens: Trends in the United States 1981–2018," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(1), pages 81-114, August.
    10. Druckman, James N. & Levy, Jeremy & Sands, Natalie, 2021. "Bias in education disability accommodations," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. Lauren A. Rivera & András Tilcsik, 2023. "Not in My Schoolyard: Disability Discrimination in Educational Access," American Sociological Review, , vol. 88(2), pages 284-321, April.

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