Social Inclusion of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders from the Perspective of Education and Employment: Labor Market and Autism Spectrum Disorder Employment Rate

Background: The relationship between the employment rate of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their educational background and the labor market has not been well studied. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the above and contribute to the improvement of social inclusion of individuals with ASD. Methods: Educational history and employment status of individuals with ASD were collected at two psychiatric clinics in Japan. The relationship between employment rate, their job type, and educational history was examined and statistically compared with the general population. These results were compared with those from previous studies in the United States and Germany. Results: The unemployment rate for individuals with ASD in Japan was 50%. This was higher than in the United States or Germany. However, among individuals with ASD who graduated from college or more, the unemployment rate was 7.6% for males and 0% for females in Japan. None of those who continued to work were in sales or service occupations, and those who were employed were in professional, clerical, and manual occupations. This is consistent with the relationship between educational attainment and requirements by the Japanese labor market. Retention rates were higher for high school graduates in manual and clerical occupations. Conclusion: In addition to selecting job types that are tailored to the characteristics of individuals with ASD, the study seems to suggest that matching job types to the educational histories of the industries that offer them may improve the social adjustment of individuals with ASD.