The European Commission’s latest reports Employment of persons with disabilities: an assessment of the effectiveness of national policies under the European Disability Expertise (EDE) network shed new light on the policies that most effectively improve employment outcomes for persons with disabilities across Europe. The reports (each produced individually by national experts) collectively provide a comprehensive analysis of how European countries are supporting disability-inclusive labour markets. 

This year’s synthesis report brings together the findings of all national experts and offers an exstensive assessment of which approaches tend to deliver the strongest results. One of its central messages is that employment outcomes improve most significantly when countries combine active labour market support with direct incentives for employers. Measures such as supported employment, tailored vocational training and job coaching appear to work best when paired with schemes that encourage employers to recruit and retain workers with disabilities. According to the report, these integrative policy frameworks not only facilitate entry into the labour market but also help ensure long-term job retention. 

These findings come at an important moment, as the European Union continues to pursue the objectives set out in the Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030. The EDE’s evidence-based recommendations offer a roadmap for future reforms and underline the need to ensure that Europe’s labour markets become more inclusive, more accessible and better equipped to support the full participation of persons with disabilities. 

Explore the individual country reports on employment policies for persons with disabilities here.