Economic Participation and the NDIS – Evidence from Large Scale Surveys
7.4.1 Economic participation of people with disability
The NDIS Survey collected information about the current employment status of NDIS participants and their carers. The questions on employment were only asked of the adult survey respondents. Employment changes due to the NDIS are expected to take a long time to manifest themselves, in all likelihood longer than the timeframe of this evaluation. An improvement in employment prospects and outcomes due to the NDIS is also likely to be impacted on by preceding improvements in social and education participation. Further, improvements in employment participation will also depend on how workplaces respond to the broader call for better and more appropriate job design.
Only a minority of people with disability over the age of 16 years were employed in wave 1 (22 per cent) (Appendix Table A7.9). This did not change over time (21 per cent in wave 2). Many were employed in an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADEs) and this proportion increased over time from 44 per cent to 52 per cent of those in employment (Appendix Table A7.10).
Employment was predominantly part-time (75 per cent in both waves 1 and 2) (Appendix Table A7.11) and half reported that their workplace, hours and conditions had been adapted to enable them to work (52 per cent in wave 1, increased to 58 per cent in wave 2) (Appendix Table A7.12).
Overwhelmingly, NDIS participants like their job (86 per cent in wave 1 and 90 per cent in wave 2) and did not want a different job (57 per cent and 55 per cent respectively) (Appendix Tables A7.13 and 7.14).
Of those NDIS participants who were not currently employed, 53 per cent in wave 1 and 50 per cent in wave 2 had previously had a paid job. (Appendix Table A7.15).
NDIS participants who were not working in wave 1 were evenly distributed between those who wanted a paid job (42 per cent) and those who did not currently want a paid job (39 per cent). However, the proportion of NDIS participants that did not want to have a paid job increased by six per cent in wave 2. The NDIS does therefore not appear to be increasing the aspirations of people with disability for economic participation (Appendix Table A7.16).
Of those that were not working, but currently wanted to work, only30 per cent in wave 1 and 28.5 per cent in wave 2were actively seeking employment (Appendix Table A7.17).
We asked all those who were not employed, about what in their view makes it hard to get a job (Figure A7.8). The most frequently mentioned barrier to getting a job by people with disability was their own health/disability (79 per cent in wave 1 and 71 per cent in wave 2). Other commonly mentioned barriers were a lack of opportunities (62 per cent and 69 per cent respectively), what employers think about people with disability (57 per cent and 59 per cent respectively), difficulties with transport or parking (44 per cent and 43 per cent respectively), difficulties using facilities or equipment (42 per cent and 39 per cent respectively) and lack of schooling, training or experience (41 per cent and 42 per cent respectively).
These findings suggest that there are multiple and severe barriers to employment participation for people with disability. There is little evidence that these barriers are being overcome over time by NDIS participants with little change occurring between wave 1 and 2.
Figure 7.8 Person with disability: What makes it hard to get a job? (Trial, Adults)
Differences between the trial and comparison samples – labour market participation
Estimations of the impact of the NDIS on the employment of carers did not produce any statistically significant results. From this, we can conclude that there is no significant evidence as yet to show that the NDIS makes a difference in the employment of family and carers. This could be due to the short investigation period between waves 1 and 2, but it could also be a consequence of the small number of observations in this specific aspect of the NDIS Survey.
7.4.2 Economic participation of families and carers
Just over half of all carers were employed (54 per cent in wave 1 and 51 per cent in wave 2) (Appendix Table A7.18).
In wave 1, 18.6 per cent of carers were working full-time and 35 per cent part-time. The proportion working full time declined slightly in wave 2 (15.4 per cent).
In wave 1 21.4 per cent of carers of NDIS participants reported that they had given up work to provide care and support to the person with disability. The proportion declined slightly in wave 2 (19.5 per cent).
A further 19.5 per cent at wave 1 and 18.3 per cent in wave 2 were currently employed part-time as a result of having to give up full-time work to provide care and support to the person with disability.
Of those currently not in employment, 72 per cent had previously been in paid employment in wave 1, and this increased to 78 per cent in wave 2 (Appendix Table 7.19).
In wave 1, 51 per cent of carers () reported that they would like to have a paid job (Appendix Table A7.20); this proportion decreased by eight per cent in wave 2.
Of those who desired paid employment, but were not currently employed, 79 per cent reported that their caring role was the main barrier precluding them from them having paid work (Appendix Table A7.21). While this declined in wave 2, still over two thirds of carers of NDIS participants reported that their caring role was the main barrier to them obtaining employment.
