Autism and Employment

There are estimated to be around 1 million autistic people in the UK, which equates to approximately 1 in every 70 people. Of these, 680,000 are of working age, but only 29% are currently employed. 

As well as providing stability and financial security, employment benefits our mental health – helping to give people a sense of purpose and the ability to make meaningful connections.  This is no different for autistic people.

Therefore it’s perhaps unsurprising that 8 in every 10 autistic people experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. We believe this is likely impacted by a lack of employment or sense of belonging.

These troubling statistics drive our mission to improve the employment rate for autistic people, and to help ensure that regardless of background or support needs, they can have access to meaningful employment. This may come in many forms – paid or voluntary; supported or unsupported; remote, full or part-time.

There are lots of incredible initiatives already supporting autistic people, but many of these focus on autistic graduates in specific sectors. Our research shows that many groups remain under supported, including individuals with additional disabilities, those with fewer formal qualifications, complex care needs, or from marginalised communities.

These individuals have valuable skills and a strong desire to work; and we strongly believe that the right employment is key to improving their wellbeing, quality of life and mental health.

Therefore, we are taking a different approach to other organisations – using research and collaborating with the autism community to: 

Leverage the knowledge and expertise of the numerous small, local organisations who are already making a difference across the UK through our Autism Employment Network.

Co-produce impactful and scalable Pilot Projects to generate opportunities on mass.

Want to support our work?

If you’re autistic and/or the parent, carer, or supporter of an autistic person, please join our Community Advisory Panel for opportunities to shape and inform ACE’s work and/ or sign up to receive our newsletter.