Background: To combat discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandates equal work opportunities. Individuals with intellectual disabilities engage in work spanning from competitive jobs to vocational activities. Little is known about their occupational patterns, and knowledge about how these evolve over time is lacking. This study aimed to address these gaps, using longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches.

Method: Through record linkage of Swedish population-based registers, data on intellectual disability and occupational status in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2020 were obtained. Two cohorts were examined. Cohort 1 (individuals who left Upper Secondary School for pupils with Intellectual Disability (USSID) in 2001–2011, n = 11 704) was used to study changes in different occupational groups (daily activity, work, studies, and unknown) between 2011 and 2020. Cohort 2 (individuals who left USSID in 2001–2020, n = 26 424) was used to describe occupational patterns in 2020.

Findings: By 2020, the proportion of cohort 1 individuals in daily activity was significantly lower compared to 2011. The proportion of working individuals increased each year until 2017. Simultaneously, the proportion of students decreased. The proportion of individuals with an unknown occupation decreased until 2015. Nearly half of the cohort 2 individuals were engaged in daily activity, approximately a third were working, about 4% were studying, and around one-sixth had no known occupation in 2020.

Conclusions: Minor, yet significant, shifts in proportions were evident across all years within all cohort 1 groups compared to baseline. A positive trend emerged with a steadily increasing proportion of working individuals until 2017, suggesting that as time progresses, more individuals seem to enter the workforce. The findings can serve as a foundation for informed decisions in the pursuit of equal opportunities. However, further research is required to understand the underlying factors behind the findings. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons and MENCAP.