In this study, the performance of user selection diversity for rate-adaptive multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems employing orthogonal space time block coding (OSTBC) is analysed and evaluated. An antenna selection scheme is used to overcome the drawback of channel hardening effects in multiuser MIMO systems. Closed-form expressions for the average spectral efficiency and outage probability of the system are derived. Using numerical evaluations the considered schemes are compared in terms of outage probability and spectral efficiency. The effects of antenna correlation at the receiver ends on the performance of the system are analysed and evaluated, indicating that spatial correlation may be beneficial for the spectral efficiency of the multiuser OSTBC MIMO systems employing user selection.