Even as the overall job situation continues to improve, an increasing number of Americans with disabilities are unemployed, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Figures released Friday show that the jobless rate among individuals with disabilities climbed to 11.7 percent in March. That’s an increase over the 11.2 percent rate reported for the previous month.

Despite the uptick, however, unemployment for Americans with disabilities is down significantly compared to the same time last year when the jobless rate for this population was pegged at 14.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the economy as a whole added 126,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate for the general population remained unchanged at 5.5 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.