Why do employers (not) hire people with disabilities?

The three main barriers for employers to hire people with disabilities are ideas about their productivity, expectations of high costs involved and a lack of knowledge about what disabilities entail - according to a literature review by Utrecht University. Although there are policies aimed at encouraging employers to employ more people with disabilities, the results remain limited. Only one in six employers employs someone with a disability (The Netherlands Institute for Social Research, 2022). With labour market shortages looming, hiring people with disabilities is often put forward as a solution worldwide. Yet, employers are hesitating. If we want to change anything, we need to know more about what motivates employers, says Rosanna Nagtegaal , principal researcher of the 'Samen aan het Werk' (Together at Work) project. Research in this project focuses on identifying factors that influence employers, and is funded by the Instituut Gak. Why do employers hire or not hire someone with a disability?. Researchers from Utrecht University have reviewed the international scientific literature on employers' hiring behaviour. This shows that three obstacles often play a role for employers hiring someone with a disability: Employers expect that people with disabilities are not productive. Employers expect a lot of costs from hiring or employing people with disabilities. Employers have little knowledge about disabilities. Employers often don't know what to expect and are uncertain about it, says Rosanna Nagtegaal. What will happen if you hire someone and can you offer that employee the right guidance, for example?