The jobless rate for Americans with disabilities soared last month to the highest level seen in nearly two years.

Unemployment rose to 16.9 percent in June for those with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. That’s equal to the record-high set in August 2009.

The June data also brings a significant jump in employment troubles over May when the unemployment rate was at 15.6 percent.

While Americans with disabilities continue to face steep hurdles in the job market, June was a tough month for the general population too. Unemployment ticked up to 9.2 percent from 9.1 percent for that group as just 18,000 jobs were added.

The Labor Department began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends among this population, so statistics for this group are not seasonally adjusted.

Data on people with disabilities covers those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.

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