Alarmingly large unemployment gap despite of above-average education in adults with ASD without intellectual disability in Germany: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

For individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), both getting access to as well as staying in the labor market are very challenging. However, the detailed educational, vocational, and employment characteristics of persons with ASD without intellectual disabilities are not yet studied. We conducted a retrospective study on a sample of 232 clinically late-diagnosed adults with ASD without intellectual disabilities. Data were compared to the general German population obtained from the public database of the German Federal Employment Agency. Results showed that the majority of persons with ASD graduated from high school and obtained a university entrance qualification (ASD: 50.4%; general population: 32.5%). Also, lower rates of basic secondary education were found in the ASD sample (ASD: 16.5%, general population: 29.6%). Significantly less individuals with ASD completed vocational training (40.1%) in comparison to the German population (56.3%). Despite the above-average level of education, the unemployment rate of the sample substantially exceeds that of the general population by the factor 5 (ASD: 25.2%; general population: 5.2%). Periods of unwanted unemployment of persons with ASD lasted on average 23 months with interpersonal problems being the main reason for contract termination. A higher level of educational qualification does not protect against a higher risk of unemployment for individuals with ASD presumably due to autism-specific interpersonal difficulties. Data emphasize the necessity to develop and spread both specific employment support activities for individuals with ASD as well as adequate awareness raising strategies. Funded by a public grant of the “Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR)”.

What is specific about employment status, workplace experiences and requirements in individuals with autism in Germany?

“…Data were obtained retrospectively from the clinical database of the Adult Autism Outpatient Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, of the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, partially overlapping with the sample of a previous study that focused on unemployment rates (see Espelöer et al, 2022). 3520 individuals were referred for diagnostic assessment during the period of 2014 to 2021 and received a vocational questionnaire (Proft et al, 2016) before their first interview to assess their employment situation.…”

“…Unemployment rates of 24.5% in the ASD group and 19.9% in the group of individuals without ASD are alarmingly high in both groups compared to those of the general German population (5.2%, Federal Employment Agency, 2022; see Espelöer et al, 2022 for a full discussion). Increased unemployment rates are frequently described in international as well as national literature, with rates ranging from 24% to 73% (Baldwin et al, 2014;Howlin, 2013;Howlin & Moss, 2012;Taylor & Seltzer, 2011;Vogeley et al, 2013) even in above-average educated individuals with ASD (Espelöer et al, 2022;Frank et al, 2018;Maslahati et al, 2022;Riedel et al, 2016). Although over half of the ASD group achieved a university entrance-level qualification (53.3%), this number was even higher in the comparison group of individuals without ASD (65.5%).…”

“…The first part is referred to as 'professional development' and captures descriptive data about formal education level, occupational skill level, employment status, psychosocial situation, periods of unemployment, and frequency and reasons of terminations (The German translation of levels of formal qualification attached as Supplementary material and Espelöer et al, 2022).…”

“…Despite growing public awareness of autism, the psychosocial outcomes of people with ASD lag behind those of non-disabled adults and people with other disabilities (Shattuck et al, 2012). Unemployment rates are alarmingly high in autism (Espelöer et al, 2022) and it is time to draw society's attention to the needs of people with autism in the working environment in order to enable them to join the labor market, from which all parties could benefit, considering special strengths people with autism could bring to the workforce (Johnson & Joshi, 2016;Sarrett, 2017). However, in the labor market, social skills are often required, which presents a major challenge for individuals with ASD (Arora, 2017;Fazekas, 2020;Riggio, 2020).…”

“…Difficulties are reported in dealing with customer contact and in adapting quickly to unfamiliar situations and demands. Social requirements in particular represent a barrier that often cannot be overcome and interpersonal difficulties are more likely to cause termination than professional problems (Espelöer et al, 2022; Hurlbutt & Chalmers, 2004; Müller et al, 2003; Proft et al, 2016).…”