Employers’ Expectations of Employability Skills for People With and Without Disabilities in the United States and China

Abstract

People with disabilities (PWD) continue to experience persistent employment disparities worldwide, and employers’ expectations of employability skills play an important role in shaping hiring decisions and employment opportunities. However, little is known about whether these expectations are comparable across cultural contexts or countries. This study had two primary purposes: (a) to examine the cross-cultural measurement validity of the Employability Rating Scale (ERS) across employers in the United States and China and (b) to compare employers’ expectations of employability skills for entry-level employees with and without disabilities between the two countries. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate measurement invariance prior to conducting latent mean comparisons. Employers in both countries reported higher expectations for employees without disabilities than for employees with disabilities, but the magnitude and pattern of these differences varied across countries. These findings support the cross-cultural applicability of the ERS and demonstrate that employer expectations are shaped by both disability status and broader cultural and policy contexts. The results have implications for disability policy, transition planning, and employer-focused interventions aimed at improving employment outcomes for PWD.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 2026 · DOI ↗