Far too many people with mental illnesses are unemployed. Their rate of unemployment is higher than the rate for people with other disabilities and far higher than the rate for the general population. Unemployment is particularly high for people with severe mental illnesses and even those with a higher education are often unemployed or under-employed.
Data on unemployment rates is collected by the Department of Labor. In addition, research into specific populations has been conducted. While different data sets and different research produce different specific unemployment and employment rates, these differences generally result from the methodology used. All the data, however, points to a serious problem of unemployment and under-employment for people with serious mental illnesses.
This is a situation that policy makers should address. Focusing on this population in job programs and addressing employment issues within the public mental health system could undoubtedly change this dismal picture.