Minnesota State Wire

Pete Stauber, Representative of Minnesota, announced that his 'Think Differently About Disability Employment Act' aims to provide Americans with disabilities more access to job and entrepreneurial opportunities. This statement was made on the social media platform X.

"The House passed my bill to help Americans living with disabilities find jobs or become entrepreneurs," said Stauber. "The Think Differently About Disability Employment Act will break down a barrier that keeps too many individuals with disabilities on the sidelines of our economy."

Recent federal efforts to enhance employment for Americans with disabilities include the introduction of the "Think DIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act" by Rep. Pete Stauber in February 2025. According to a release from Stauber’s office, this bipartisan bill seeks to strengthen Small Business Administration partnerships and increase support for job training and entrepreneurship. It builds on previous laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and reflects a growing congressional focus on closing persistent employment gaps for people with disabilities.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of May 2025, the employment–population ratio for Americans with disabilities was 38.0%, significantly lower than the 74.8% rate for those without disabilities. The labor force participation rate among people with disabilities was 41.4%, compared to 77.8% for non-disabled individuals, while the unemployment rate for people with disabilities stood at 8.2%. These figures highlight ongoing barriers to workforce participation despite recent improvements.

A report from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2024 found that 9.5% of working Americans with disabilities were self-employed, compared to 6.1% of the general population, as reported by the SBA Office of Advocacy. Census Bureau data further indicate that 1.8 million adults with disabilities own small businesses, and people with disabilities are up to 15% more likely to pursue entrepreneurship than their non-disabled peers. This underscores a growing trend in self-employment within the disability community.

Stauber is a Republican U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s 8th District, serving since 2019 according to his official House biography and Ballotpedia. Before entering Congress, he was a St. Louis County Commissioner and Duluth City Councilor and spent more than two decades as a police officer. In 2025, Stauber introduced legislation focused on disability employment, highlighting his policy engagement on workforce and inclusion issues.