Ms. May, 63 years old and never unemployed before the latest downturn, runs a group for unemployed professionals in the Los Angeles area.

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Now Pinchbeck is working with the group Ability Beyond Disability to put a dent in a staggering statistic: the group says 88% of American adults with autism are unemployed.

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The National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit advocacy group, reported that companies across the country often posted job notices explicitly excluding applicants who are unemployed.

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