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Protecting working-age people with disabilities: experiences of four industrialized nations

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Abstract

Although industrialized nations have long provided public protection to working-age individuals with disabilities, the form has changed over time. The impetus for change has been multifaceted: rapid growth in program costs; greater awareness that people with impairments are able and willing to work; and increased recognition that protecting the economic security of people with disabilities might best be done by keeping them in the labor market. We describe the evolution of disability programs in four countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. We show how growth in the receipt of publicly provided disability benefits has fluctuated over time and discuss how policy choices played a role. Based on our descriptive comparative analysis we summarize shared experiences that have the potential to benefit policymakers in all countries.

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  • Richard V. Burkhauser & Mary C. Daly & Nicolas Ziebarth, 2015. "Protecting working-age people with disabilities: experiences of four industrialized nations," Working Paper Series 2015-8, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfwp:2015-08
    DOI: 10.24148/wp2015-08
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    Cited by:

    1. Seibold, Arthur & Seitz, Sebastian & Siegloch, Sebastian, 2022. "Privatizing Disability Insurance," CEPR Discussion Papers 17568, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    3. Draheim, Matthias & Schanbacher, Peter & Seiberlich, Ruben, 2021. "On the effectiveness of case management for people with disabilities," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 55, pages 1-15.
    4. Becker, Sebastian & Gehlen, Annica & Geyer, Johannes & Haan, Peter, 2024. "Income Effects of Disability Benefits," IZA Discussion Papers 17298, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Julie Vinck & Idunn Brekke, 2019. "Gender and education inequalities in parental employment when having a young child with increased care needs: Belgium and Norway compared," Working Papers 1904, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    6. Regina T. Riphahn & Rebecca Schrader, 2017. "Institutional reforms and an incredible rise in old age employment," Working Papers 169, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    7. Konle-Seidl, Regina & Lüdeke, Britta, 2017. "What harmonised and registered unemployment rates do not tell," IAB-Forschungsbericht 201706, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    8. von Simson Kristine & Hardoy Inés, 2020. "Tackling disabilities in young age—Policies that work," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-27, March.
    9. Pichler, Stefan & Ziebarth, Nicolas R., 2024. "Sick Leave and Medical Leave in the United States: A Categorization and Recent Trends," IZA Policy Papers 206, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Stefan Pichler & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2020. "Labor Market Effects of U.S. Sick Pay Mandates," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(2), pages 611-659.
    11. Julie Vinck & Wim Van Lancker, 2020. "An Intersectional Approach towards Parental Employment in Families with a Child with a Disability: The Case of Belgium," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(2), pages 228-261, April.
    12. Collischon, Matthias & Hiesinger, Karolin & Pohlan, Laura, 2023. "Disability and Labor Market Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 16100, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Monica Galizzi & Roberto Leombruni & Lia Pacelli, 2019. "Successful return to work during labor market liberalization: the case of Italian injured workers," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 53(1), pages 1-24, December.

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    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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