The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is inching up, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Data released Friday indicates that the jobless rate for those with disabilities increased to 10.4 percent in September, up from 10.2 percent the prior month.

The change comes as fewer people with disabilities were on the job and many chose to stop looking for work altogether.

At the same time, the economy as a whole added 142,000 jobs and the unemployment rate for the general population was unchanged at 5.1 percent, the Labor Department said.

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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