China has achieved notable progress in promoting the employment of people with disabilities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021 - 2025), with 9.019 million disabled individuals currently employed nationwide.
A total of 2.31 million disabled people were newly employed in both urban and rural areas during the five-year period, according to data released at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
According to an official from the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), the scale and quality of the employment of people with disabilities have seen significant improvements in recent years, especially under the "Three-Year Action Plan to Promote Employment for Persons with Disabilities" (2022–2024).
In the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 400,000 new jobs are offered to disabled people annually. The overall employment rate for people with disabilities rose by nearly 5 percentage points.
The quality of employment of disabled people has also improved. Over the past five years, the number of people with disabilities working in proportionally inclusive positions which offer greater stability and higher income has increased by more than 20 percent. Additionally, 2.17 million individuals with disabilities received vocational skills training, further boosting job readiness and long-term employment prospects.
Looking ahead, the federation pledged to make employment promotion a key focus in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). Efforts will include strengthened policy support, enhanced employment services, and expanded training opportunities to ensure more people with disabilities will contribute to Chinese modernization.
More people with disabilities employed during 2021-2025: official data
