The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is on the rise, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.

The jobless rate for those with disabilities reached 10.8 percent in January. That’s up from 10.3 percent at the close of last year.

Figures released as part of the agency’s monthly employment report indicate that more people with disabilities were actively looking for work in January, but the number who were actually employed declined.

At the same time, the unemployment rate for the general population dipped below 5 percent for the first time in years, hitting 4.9 percent as 151,000 jobs were added to the economy, 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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