This report provides statistics over 20 years from several existing national datasets that address the status of employment and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The authors use abbreviations for both intellectual disability (ID) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in this report. We do this because data sources vary in the specific target groups that can be described.

We provide a comprehensive overview that describes national trends in employment for people with IDD, and the appendix provides individual state profiles with data from several sources. These include the ICI’s National Survey of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies’ Day and Employment Services (from FY1999, 2001, 2004, 2007–2011), and datasets from the Social Security Administration, vocational rehabilitation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the American Community Survey. The appendix provides a state-by-state analysis of trends across each dataset.

The topical chapter examines national data on educational, employment, and economic outcomes for youth and young adults with IDD over the years 2000–2010. This chapter presents summaries, analyzes trends over time, and makes recommendations to improve outcomes.