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.