Focus area 08 · Planned build
State government as a model employer
Where states lead, private employers follow. This scorecard benchmarks state-government disability employment against neighboring states and the national average, drawing on EEOC and BLS state-year workforce data.
Government as employer
Why the state matters
State governments employ about 5 million people. When a state commits to hiring people with disabilities, it moves both a large workforce and signals to private employers what mature disability employment looks like. The federal 7% goal (established through EEOC guidance for federal employers) provides a benchmark. States vary widely — from under 3% to over 10%.
Select your state to see the scorecard against neighboring states and the national average.
Scorecard
Myth or Fact?
"State agencies that hire more people with disabilities have equivalent performance ratings."
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FACT. Multi-year EEOC data shows no performance-rating difference between agencies with above-median disability employment and below-median.Source: EEOC MD-715 Reports 2020-2024.
Myth or Fact?
"Federal 7% goals are unachievable for state governments."
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MYTH. Five states (Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland) have exceeded 7% state-government disability employment.Source: BLS state-year employment reports 2024.