As unemployment in the general population dropped to its lowest level in years, people with disabilities saw their own fortunes improve slightly.

The U.S. Department of Labor said Friday that Americans with disabilities faced a jobless rate of 13.5 percent in September, down from 13.9 percent the month prior.

The news comes as the economy as a whole added 114,000 jobs and the unemployment rate for the general population fell below 8 percent for the first time since January 2009, with some 7.8 percent of Americans without work in September.

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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