The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is down significantly, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.

Figures released in the agency’s monthly jobs report show that the jobless rate for Americans with disabilities fell to 9.7 percent in May, down from 10.7 percent the month prior.

The shift comes as the economy as a whole added just 38,000 jobs and the unemployment rate for the general population declined slightly to 4.7 percent.

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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