Although disability discrimination is the most common employment complaint received by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, unlike in the US and UK the government apparently does not compile statistics on the unemployment rate among disabled people, according to a press release issued by CCS Disability Action, a disability services provider.

The CEO of the organization said that “Without accurate data, how do we know whether we are actually addressing the issue? When the government starts collecting regular data, I will know it is serious.”

He claimed that “In a survey of employers last year, 78 per cent said they believed disabled people were discriminated against in employment. Disabled people are overrepresented on benefits and in unemployment.  …  Only 45 per cent of disabled people were in the labour force compared to 77 per cent of people without disabilities.”

However, he said, “In the same survey of employers, nearly all employers believed that disabled people deserved a fair go and that their low rate of employment was an issue.”