WELLINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Disabled people were more likely to be unemployed, and their average weekly incomes were just over half those of non-disabled people in the June 2017 quarter, New Zealand's statistics department said on Thursday.
Disabled people's average weekly incomes from self-employment and wages and salary were lower than those for non-disabled people, and they were less likely to be employed, said a Stats NZ finding.
However, average income from government transfers were higher for the disabled population, it said, adding that employed disabled people earned less because, on average, they worked fewer weekly hours and had lower hourly wages.
Disabled people are those who have at least a lot of difficulty in seeing or hearing even with glasses or hearing aids, walking or climbing stairs, remembering or concentrating, self-care, or communicating, the statement said.
The unemployment rate for disabled people, which was 11.4 percent, was more than double the rate for non-disabled people, which was 4.5 percent, statistics showed.
The labor force participation rate for disabled people aged under 65 increases from 25.2 percent to 45.2 percent, Stats NZ said.
