ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Samuel Welsh's chances of landing a job before this economic downturn were already slim. Samuel Welsh, laid off since 2006, has found solace in his faith. "You got to keep God in your heart," he said. Now, as a disabled worker, the 29-year-old is competing with thousands of nondisabled job seekers going for jobs once allocated for the disabled population. Welsh was laid off from his job as an executive assistant in 2006. "I did mortgages, refinances and purchase deals. I was dismissed from that job and after that I was sent over to the Bobby Dodd Institute to do my vocational rehab counseling," he said.
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Institute that places disabled employees says employers all but stopped calling
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Labor statistics show 14 percent unemployment rate among disabled workers
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Stimulus package allocates funds to aid disabled, but immediate help needed
For the first time, the @placeholder in February released a report tracking unemployment rates among disabled job seekers.