The number of unemployed people with disabilities in Bavaria has risen sharply over the past year. The unemployment rate in this group climbed to nearly ten percent, while the employment quota fell to its lowest level in a decade. Experts warn of a drastic setback for inclusion in the labor market.
A study by Aktion Mensch and the Handelsblatt Research Institute reveals a significant deterioration in the employment situation for people with disabilities in Bavaria. In 2024, the number of unemployed in this group rose by more than nine percent to an annual average of 25,677. The unemployment rate reached nearly ten percent. By October 2025, around 28,540 people with disabilities were unemployed, nine percent more than in the same month the previous year.
Christina Marx from Aktion Mensch emphasized: «The problem is solidifying further; we are confronted with a drastic setback for inclusion in the labor market. It is to be feared that it will take many years and massive efforts to overcome this crisis.» The study points out that people with disabilities have much poorer chances of escaping unemployment. The outflow rate dropped to under four percent in 2024, compared to about nine percent for people without disabilities.
Additionally, the legally required employment quota in companies has fallen to 4.5 percent, the lowest level in ten years. Although more firms are subject to the employment obligation, which requires companies with at least 20 employees to fill five percent of positions with people with disabilities, the economy is not complying. More than one in four companies employs no people with disabilities, and 35 percent do so only partially. Non-compliance incurs a compensation levy intended to promote integration. The experts foresee a gloomy outlook as the number of unemployed continues to rise.