As the job market shows signs of improvement, statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor suggest people with disabilities are making gains as well.

The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities dipped to 11.3 percent in October, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s down from 12.3 percent the month prior.

Meanwhile, the jobless rate for the general population declined to 5.8 percent as the economy added 214,000 jobs last month.

Federal officials 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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