As the nation’s unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low, people with disabilities saw improvements in the labor market as well.

The jobless rate for Americans with disabilities fell to 12.3 percent in February, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. That’s down from 13.7 percent the previous month.

The gains for those with disabilities appeared to mirror positive signs in the workforce as a whole. Labor statistics show the unemployment rate for the general population was 7.7 percent last month, down slightly from 7.9 percent in January, as the economy added 236,000 jobs.

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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