More Americans with disabilities were on the job in October, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.

For the second month in a row, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities fell. Government statistics show that the jobless rate hit 12.9 percent in October, down from 13.5 percent the previous month.

At the same time, the economy added 171,000 jobs in October, a higher than expected number, as unemployment for the general population remained relatively unchanged at 7.9 percent.

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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