Exploring Correlations of Unemployment, Underemployment, and Well-Being Among Autistic Job Seekers by Race in the United States.

PURPOSE: Autistic adults have high levels of unemployment and underemployment, which may have detrimental effects on their financial and psychological well-being. In the current project, we explore correlates of psychological and financial well-being, as well as depressive symptoms, with different levels of employment while examining whether race moderates these relationships. METHODS: We utilized survey data from autistic job seekers in the United States who expressed interest in a larger clinical trial of a supported employment program. RESULTS: Among the 710 participants, 248 (34.9%) were currently employed; among the employed participants, 127 (51.2%) met at least one criterion for underemployment. In general, there were no significant differences by employment status in depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, or financial well-being. However, when controlling for age, gender, and education level, race/ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between employment status and depressive symptoms. Specifically, fully employed Asian American participants had significantly fewer depressive symptoms compared to their underemployed counterparts. CONCLUSION: The present study highlights the nuances of employment status and well-being among diverse autistic individuals, especially Asian American autistic individuals.