In Aragón, 7 out of 10 people with disabilities of working age are outside the labour market. The activity rate reaches only 30.5%, compared to 80.3% of the rest of the population.
In Aragón, 39,900 people with disabilities aged between 16 and 64 represent 4.7% of the working-age population. However, only 12,200 are employed or actively seeking work, placing their activity rate at 30.5%, well below the 80.3% recorded among people without disabilities.
This is reflected in the data collected by Marina Ladrero, head of the social entity that has analysed the employment situation of this group. According to Ladrero, the data highlights a structural problem: “That seven out of ten are inactive tells us that the barrier is not just finding a job, but participating in the labour market.”
Employment is key to inclusion, as it provides income, autonomy, social recognition, and a life project. But the reality in Aragón shows that people with disabilities face obstacles from education to hiring.
Gender gap and education
The activity, unemployment, and employment rates among men and women with disabilities are very similar, according to the analysis. The gender gap does not originate in the workplace, but in the educational stage and is consolidated in the quality of employment and salary.
Ladrero emphasises that action is needed before employment: “Inclusive education, prevention of school dropout, and strengthening support during the transition to higher education.” Without these measures, women with disabilities start at a disadvantage that is later reflected in the labour market.
Three pathways to employment
The system offers three complementary pathways for labour insertion: ordinary companies, public administration, and Special Employment Centres (CEE). Each person should access the pathway most suitable for their situation, with reasonable adjustments in ordinary companies, public hiring, and paid employment in CEEs for those requiring intensive support.
However, the analysis detects imbalances. CEEs have grown significantly in the last decade, which could indicate an overload of protected employment and its use to evade direct hiring. Penetration in ordinary companies remains low, and compliance with reserve quotas is insufficient. Furthermore, there are a lack of real opportunities in public employment.
Non-compliance with quotas
80% of companies do not comply with the employment reserve quota for people with disabilities. Ladrero points out several factors: lack of systematic control and inspection, low penalties, business ignorance, and cultural barriers. There is also an abuse of alternative measures, such as contracting goods or services with a CEE or making donations, which should be exceptional and not an ordinary way to evade direct hiring.
Despite the increase in social sensitivity and corporate social responsibility policies, inclusion cannot solely depend on corporate goodwill. Tax incentives, hiring bonuses, or social security aid have contributed, but do not guarantee insertion on their own. “Prejudices prevail, quotas are not met, and training and accessibility barriers persist,” warns Ladrero.
The role of Special Employment Centres
CEEs are essential because they offer specific support, job adaptation, and personal and social adjustment services that ordinary companies do not always guarantee. They account for one in five employed people with disabilities, many of whom would likely not have found work in a conventional company.
However, the current challenge is to ensure that this employment is dignified, stable, and offers professional development. “If the CEE only provides occupation but not training, promotion, or improvement of conditions, it is not fully fulfilling its inclusive potential,” concludes Ladrero. Protected employment should serve as a springboard to ordinary employment when the person is able and willing.
The situation in Aragón reflects a reality that requires structural measures: from inclusive education to strengthening labour inspection, along with a reform of protected employment that guarantees its integrative function.
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