Industry Differences in Employers’ Hiring Attitudes Towards Disabled Job Seekers

Numerous field and survey experiments have documented that disabled people are highly disadvantaged in the hiring process. However, the impact of context on this hiring disadvantage has not been well explored. This article explores industry differences in employers’ hiring attitudes towards disabled job seekers, and the impact of support measures on these, using data from a factorial survey among Norwegian employers (N = 951). The results show that the gap between disabled and non-disabled job seekers in employers’ hiring interest varies significantly depending on the type of industry. Different types of disability show distinct patterns in the variation. The impact of wage subsidy schemes and accommodation grants on employers’ hiring interest also depends on the type of industry. The findings emphasise the importance of context when measuring employers’ hiring attitudes towards disabled job seekers and how support measures impact these.