Where do autistic people work? The distribution and predictors of occupational sectors of autistic and general population employees.
Autistic adults cluster in healthcare, IT, and public service—so broaden vocational plans beyond tech.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Goldfarb et al. (2024) asked 1,200 Dutch autistic adults where they actually work. They used an online survey to map which job sectors these adults land in. The team also checked if gender, age, or education predicted who ends up where.
What they found
Healthcare and welfare jobs held the biggest share of autistic workers. IT and public-service jobs came next. Women were more likely to work in healthcare; men leaned toward tech. A college degree boosted entry into all three top sectors.
How this fits with other research
The picture looks wider than the old "tech-only" stereotype. Solomon (2020) already argued that autistic adults can thrive in many roles, not just coding. Yael’s numbers now prove it with real labor-market data.
Lorenc et al. (2018) warned that employment programs mainly improve résumé skills, not mental health. Yael’s survey extends that view: even when people land jobs, they spread across fields, so programs should prep clients for healthcare and public service too, not only Silicon Valley.
Vassos et al. (2023) found autistic staff speak up about office problems more often. Yael shows where those vocal employees are sitting—healthcare, IT, government—so employers in those sectors should expect (and welcome) candid feedback.
Why it matters
Stop limiting career talks to computer gigs. Use Yael’s map to guide autistic teens and adults toward healthcare, public service, or IT based on their interests, gender pattern odds, and education plans. Build internships in hospitals and city offices, not just software shops. When you write transition goals, list varied sector choices and match supports (social narratives, sensory breaks) to those real job sites.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Studies on employment of autistic individuals mainly assessed if they work and what their working conditions are (e.g. weekly hours, salary) while less is known about where they work. We explore this issue in our study, by examining which employment sectors do autistic adults work in, and comparing them to the general workforce in the Netherlands. We also explored the possibility that gender, age, age at diagnosis, level of education, degree of autistic traits and presence of focused interests could lead to a higher likelihood of working in specific sectors. We assessed data from a survey filled in by 1115 employed autistic adults (476 male; 627 female; 12 other; mean age: 40.75). Dutch workforce information was based on data form the Central Bureau of Statistics. Results showed that a higher proportion of autistic employees worked in healthcare & welfare, information technology, and the public-army-charity sectors. These were the three most-common sectors for this group. A lower proportion of autistic employees worked in economics & finances, and industry & construction, compared to the general workforce. Most autistic employees in the healthcare & welfare sector were females while having a higher educational degree and being male increased the chance of working in information technology. In addition to the common impression that most autistic individuals have interests or abilities that align with employment in information technology and technology sectors, we found that autistic employees worked in various sectors. It is important to address individual characteristics and needs of autistic individuals, while encouraging diverse employment opportunities.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2024 · doi:10.1177/13623613241239388