Talent on the Move: Professionals with Disabilities Are Changing Firms to Get Ahead

Deepening investment in disability talent through actionable strategies improves retention, reduces workplace costs, and creates competitive advantages in businesses around the world.

December 3, 2025- On International Day of Persons withDisabilities, Disability:IN and LinkedIn release new global research showing that professionals with disabilities are advancing in their careers - but often by changing companies and industries to do it.

For the first time, Momentum at Work: Disability and Career Mobility leverages anonymized and aggregated profile information of LinkedIn’s more than 1 billion members around the world. LinkedIn’s Economic Graph Institute analyzed the self-identified disability and employment status of nearly 10 million LinkedIn members across seven countries: the United States, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and theUnited Kingdom.

“Studies like this are key to understanding opportunities for growth and advancement. LinkedIn has long understood that an individual's network is a powerful tool in career mobility, both within your existing role and in finding new opportunities. Continuing research helps us understand everyone's experiences and how we can advance our vision to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”- Blake Lawit, LinkedIn’s Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer

A Workforce on the Move

The report uncovers encouraging indications that longstanding employment disparities may also be declining as the retention patterns of people with and without disabilities begin to resemble one another across the globe. In multiple countries, employment and retention gaps between workers with and without disabilities are narrowing, particularly among early-career professionals. Yet later career professionals with disabilities continue to experience wider disparities and lower firm retention, signaling the need for disability inclusion strategies that support the employee lifecycle. 

Another trend stands out: professionals with disabilities are switching employers at higher rates than non-disabled peers to advance their careers, leading to more senior-level positions. From 2023 to 2024, 9.3% of LinkedIn members with disabilities moved into higher-level positions (2.0% at same firm+ 7.3% at new firms), but it is almost four times as likely for this to occur through changing firms. This trend signals both progress and a critical challenge for businesses struggling to retain

This churn or “flight to opportunity” represents an enormous, preventable loss of talent, knowledge, andinvestment for companies that fail to.
The majority of disability accommodations cost the employer nothing, whereas replacement can range from 50 to 200% of theindividual’s salary. Investing in the seniority of employees with disabilities with no- to low-cost accommodations and accessible workplace technology can save the business thousands in preventable turnover costs.

What It Means for Business Leaders

• ‍Professionals with disabilities are switching companies more often to advance. Businesses can reduce turnover costs and workplace inefficiencies by investing in internal advancement pathways and accessible workplace technologies to retain employees with disabilities. ‍
• Early career professionals with disabilities are narrowing employment gaps; more senior professionals face greater barriers.
  Comprehensive disability inclusion strategy matters more than ever to ensure that businesses are equipped to nurture and elevate talent across the employee lifecycle.‍
• People with disabilities are entering the workforce at higher rates across multiple countries. Companies must align talent, accessibility, and workforce planning to meet the increase in global disability talent.‍
• Legislation alone is not eliminating disparities or turnover. Even strong legislative frameworks such as the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), Accessible Canada Act, and Brazil’s Law on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities cannot close gaps on their own. Companies need data-driven benchmarking tools such as the Disability Index to evaluate performance and accelerate measurable progress.

 “This research underscores what we hear from companies every day: when internal career paths are not well-defined or accessible, employers lose exceptional talent,” said Jill Houghton, President & CEO of Disability:IN.“Retention is a bottom-line issue. When businesses design career pathways that support all employees, they reduce preventable turnover, strengthen their workforce, and gain a measurable competitive edge."

Read the Full Report

Access the complete findings: Momentum at Work: Disability and Career Mobility.

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About Disability:IN

Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Disability:IN partners with leading companies and drives progress through initiatives, tools, and expertise that deliver long-term business impact. Learn more at DisabilityIN.Org.