The decline in remote job opportunities is threatening to reverse gains in employment for disabled people in the United Kingdom, according to a two-year study released this week by researchers at Lancaster University. Official figures released earlier this month show that unemployment among disabled people has risen to 9.2%, more than double the national average of 4.4%.
The study, billed as the largest of its kind in the UK, involved interviews with over 1,200 disabled workers and analysis of job vacancy data from Adzuna. It found that access to home working is considered essential or very important by more than 80% of working-age disabled people when seeking new employment. Almost half (46%) of participants in the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study expressed a preference for fully remote work, with disabled women and those with caring responsibilities particularly likely to favor this arrangement.
The findings come as employers increasingly reduce hybrid and remote working options. In the financial year 2024-25, only 4.3% of job adverts on Adzuna were fully remote, less than half the 8.7% recorded at the peak of the pandemic in 2020-21. Growth in hybrid job opportunities has also stalled, with only 13.5% of vacancies offering a hybrid work model.
“At a time when the government wants to get people working, disabled workers report that access to suitable home-working roles can be the difference between working or not working,” said Paula Holland, lead researcher on the project. The Work Foundation, which coordinated the study with Manchester Metropolitan University and Universal Inclusion, noted that unemployment has risen across the UK economy in the last year, but the increase has been “far more quickly” for disabled people.
The research highlights the significant positive impact remote work has on the wellbeing of disabled employees. 64% of fully remote disabled workers reported a positive effect on their physical health, compared to just 31% of those working remotely less than half the time. The flexibility afforded by remote work allows individuals to manage health conditions and balance work with other commitments, such as caregiving.
Vera, a London-based healthcare worker in her 20s who participated in the study, explained how remote work has enabled her to remain employed following stem cell treatment for multiple sclerosis. “Remote work has made it possible for me to stay in employment – without it I couldn’t work,” she said. “But I feel stuck, as there are so few remote-only roles. These are realistically the only roles I can apply for if I desire to keep working and progress in my career.”
A recent study by the Work Foundation and the MS Society found that nearly half of people with MS (47%) actively seek job locations that require minimal or no travel. This underscores the importance of accessible and flexible work arrangements for individuals with long-term health conditions.
The findings have prompted calls for government intervention to ensure remote and hybrid working options are prioritized to boost disabled employment. A recent report by the House of Lords recommended that ministers take action to address the issue. As of today, the government has not responded to the report’s recommendations.
