The unemployment rate ticked down slightly in May for people with disabilities, possibly due to a large number of temporary hires for the 2010 census, the Labor Department said Friday.

Unemployment stood at 14.7 percent in May. While that represents a full percentage point increase over the same time last year, the outlook for Americans with disabilities did improve somewhat over April when unemployment was at 15.2 percent.

Overall, the economy added 431,000 jobs last month, but the vast majority — 411,000 — of new hires were temporary positions working for the census. That left the unemployment rate among the general population relatively steady at 9.1 percent compared to 9.3 percent in April.

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

Employment statistics on people with disabilities cover 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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