U.S. Workforce Lacks Skills to Compete in Global Economy, Survey Indicates

U.S. adults are less proficient in basic reading, math and problem-solving skills than many of their international counterparts, according to the first Survey of Adult Skills from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD found that, overall, U.S. adults possessed below average proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. In most of the countries included in the study, younger adults entering the workforce generally possessed better skills than older adults leaving the workforce, leading to better prepared labor pools over time. In the U.S., however, adults 55-65 years old performed at levels close to the international average, while younger adults ranked among the least skilled in the 24 countries surveyed.

The relative decline in skills among younger adults in the U.S. is not entirely due to a worsening educational system, according to the study. Rather, other countries included in the survey have rapidly improved the skill base of their workforce in recent years leading to better preparation for younger workers, while skills levels in the U.S. among younger adults have remained fairly steady. For example in South Korea, adults in the 55-65 years old age range rank near the lowest-performing of all nationalities, while younger Koreans scored second only to the Japanese in overall skills.

The OECD survey targeted adults aged 16-65 years old, evaluating the participants on literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Follow-up questions asked whether or not the participants used these skills in their everyday work and collected information on their demographics and employment situation. Proficiency in the target areas seemed to be strongly linked to employment outcomes. Participants who scored at the highest levels of proficiency in literacy skills made 60 percent more, on average, than those at the lowest skill level. Workers with low literacy skills were more than twice as likely to be unemployed. Lower skill levels were also linked to poorer health, lower civic engagement and less trust in others.

In almost all countries, at least 10 percent of adults lacked basic computer skills, such as the ability to use a computer mouse. This percentage tends to be concentrated within older age groups in the study; however, large numbers of young adults also lack basic technology skills.

The OECD study divides digital problem-solving proficiency into four categories, with the lowest level able to perform only simple tasks in a familiar environment and the highest level able to use multiple applications, complete a large number of steps and overcome unexpected obstacles. The U.S. had the largest number of low-proficiency adults of any of the 24 countries, with 15.8 percent only able to perform simple tasks. Among U.S. 16-24 year olds, 10.7 percent fell in the least proficient category. Only Poland had a larger number of low-proficiency young people.

OECD explicitly links proficiency in high-tech problem solving to the growth of national technology industries, though the authors suggest that improved skills training is not enough on its own. Economic strategies must be closely linked with workforce training and education initiatives to ensure that skilled adults are able to apply their knowledge at work. Otherwise, skills tend to atrophy over time and economies do not benefit from the additional investment in education.

Download OECD Skills Outlook 2013 at: http://skills.oecd.org/skillsoutlook.html.