Times Tough For Ohio Disabled Seeking Employment

HAMILTON, Ohio—The weak economy is especially hard on people with disabilities looking for work, which face unemployment rates many times higher than the state average.  With so many people out of work, even entry-level jobs such as bagging groceries are hard to find.
   
Butler County resident Andrew Callsen, who has a form of autism, says he’d rather work than take government assistance, but openings are few in the county with 10.6 percent unemployment.  Melissa Engle of Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley in Dayton says the toughest questions from her clients are when she can find them a job.
   
The national unemployment rate is 9.4 percent but U.S. Census data puts that figure at more than 62 percent for those with disabilities.  Ohio’s unemployment rate jumped to 11.2 percent in July, the highest in a quarter century.

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