- Employment Agency: Individual solutions for severely handicapped people
The Employment Agency in Saxony-Anhalt is calling for better inclusion of people with disabilities in the state's businesses. "Unfortunately, many companies still have prejudices against hiring severely disabled individuals," said Torsten Narr, the operational manager of the Regional Directorate for Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Currently, Saxony-Anhalt ranks among the lowest in the employment of people with disabilities among the federal states.
According to the Employment Agency, a total of 19,300 severely disabled people were employed in the social security system in 2020, with most of them working in the manufacturing industry, public administration, or social and health services.
Narr emphasized the importance of supporting the integration of people with disabilities into the labor market, given the current skills shortage. This could help harness their potential for the labor market and the state even more. "Disabilities do not mean that someone cannot work; every person has potential that needs to be discovered."
In 2022, around 80 percent of employed severely disabled individuals were at least 45 years old. "More than half of the severely disabled unemployed in Saxony-Anhalt have a vocational qualification, and there are sufficient open positions," Narr added.
However, in 2020, around 33 percent of companies did not have any severely disabled employees in their social security system. 39.2 percent of businesses partially fulfilled their employment obligation in 2022, according to the Employment Agency.
Companies that only partially or do not fulfill the obligation have to pay an equalization levy to the integration offices. For companies that do not fulfill the obligation, this levy was increased as of January 1, 2023. Narr suggested finding individual solutions when hiring people with severe disabilities.
The Employment and Social Security system in Saxony-Anhalt recognizes the need for improving the inclusion of people with disabilities in this regard, aligning with Narr's assertion that supporting their integration into the labor market is crucial due to the current skills shortage. This could potentially unlock their untapped potential for the labor market and the state.
Despite around 80% of employed severely disabled individuals being at least 45 years old in 2022, the Employment and Social Security system continues to advocate for addressing the issue of underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the workforce, especially as many companies still have not fulfilled their employment obligation.
