“I’ve absolutely reached rock bottom and have no energy”: The lived experience of unemployed and underemployed autistic adults

Background: Autistic adults are underrepresented in the employment market, and those in work are commonly underemployed. Our study aimed to gain an understanding of autistic adults’ experiences of unemployment and underemployment.

Methods: Eight autistic adults who self-identified as currently unemployed or underemployed who were actively seeking to change their employment status participated in semi-structured interviews, analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

Results: Four group experiential themes were identified: ‘Feeling paralysed’ (The past weighs heavy; Fragile self-confidence); ‘Powerlessness’ (Lack of agency; Systemic support failures); ‘Negative perceptions’ (Feeling misunderstood; Fear of judgement; Pressure to meet societal expectations) and ‘Recognising our needs’ (Managing mental health difficulties; Importance of self-understanding). Participants felt paralysed by employment experiences which impacted their confidence to progress with their career aspirations. Autistic people felt misunderstood, judged, and powerless within support systems which had implications for their mental health. Participants recognised the importance of managing their mental health needs during times of unemployment and underemployment via self-care and seeking psychological support.

Conclusion: Putting resource into understanding, acknowledging, and addressing processes within and around employment should be priorities for policy makers if they are serious about improving support to help autistic people find and stay in work.