IN THE NEWS- EMPLOYMENT & TV

In the news ...thanks to Disability Scoop...

The number of characters with disabilities on prime-time television is  on the rise, with a new report finding such representation nearly doubled since last year.

Among series regulars appearing this season on scripted prime-time programs on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, and NBC, 15 are expected to have disabilities.

By contrast, there were just eight portrays of disabilities on network shows last season.

The findings come from an analysis released this month , The annual report assesses representation of minority groups on television- including people with disabilities.

For the 2016-2017 season, the report found that characters with disabilities account for 1.7 percent of all series regulars on network t percentage recorded on TV since 2010.

There are five characters with disabilities appearing on Fox shows, four on NBC, three on ABC, two on CBS and one on the CW.

"As noteworthy as these numbers are, in comparison with previous tracked seasons, they lack far behind the actual representation of people with disabilities found in our communities nationwide, said the report. "The only way to create authenticity within entertainment television is if characters with obvious and hidden disabilities are included within every script and story line, just as they are found within the diversity of our everyday lived experience."

Network shows expected to feature disability portrayals include "Empire", "24 Legacy", and "Rosewood"on Fox; "Superstore," "Taken,""Trial & Error," and "This is Us" on NBC; "Grey's Anatomy," "How to Get Away with Murder," and "speechless" on ABC;" NCIS: New Orleans" and "Scorpion" on CBS and The CW's "The 100".

Meanwhile, on cable, Freeform's "Switched at Birth"and "Pretty Little Liars" and Showtime's "Shameless" will include Amazon's "One Mississippi" and "Transparent" and Netflix's "Wentworth" and" DreamWorks' Dragons".

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After improving significantly, the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is ticking back up as more people within this population look to join the workforce.

Numbers released recently from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that the jobless rate for people with disabilities rose to 9.9 percent last month. (October 2016). That's up markedly from 8.7 percent in September.

The rise came as fewer people with disabilities were employed, but more sought to join the labor force.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for the general population dipped just slightly to 4.9 percent as the economy added 161,000 jobs.

Federal officials began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends among this population, so statistics for this group are not seasonally adjusted.

Data on people with disabilities cover those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.