Recommendations to Strengthen the U.S. Workforce and Wellbeing by Increasing Adult Literacy

Context

The United States ranks 36^th in the world in literacy, and the costs are staggering.

Adult literacy is at the root of today’s national challenges like workforce readiness, military eligibility, health outcomes, and educational attainment, yet it remains an invisible issue. According to the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), 28% of adults in the United States ages 16-25—58.9 million people—can read only simple, short sentences.[i] Low levels of literacy cost the U.S. economy up to 2.2 trillion per year.[ii]

• The U.S. labor market faces a major skills gap, with just 68 qualified workers for every 100 open jobs, despite low unemployment.[iii]
• One in three employers say that their average employee lacks the literacy skills needed to do their job effectively. Low literacy affects team productivity and increases turnover.[iv] 92% of jobs require digital skills, but one-third of workers have low or no digital skills.[v]
• The U.S. military recruited nearly 20,000 fewer people in 2022 than it set out to enlist because young adults could not pass the Armed Forces Qualification Test.[vi]
• Children of parents with low literacy have a 72% chance of experiencing low literacy themselves and are more likely to live in poverty.[vii] Only 31% of the nation’s fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders read at grade level.[viii]
• More than 70% of incarcerated Americans have low literacy skills, and a disproportionate number of incarcerated learners experience dyslexia.[ix]
• Adults with low literacy experience higher rates of hospitalization and more frequent emergency room visits. They are five times more likely to report being in poor health than other adults.[x]
• Most Americans are not consistent voters, and counties with lower literacy levels often see lower voter turnout.[xi]

The numbers are alarming, but the good news is that the literacy challenge in America is solvable. An increased federal investment in adult education and family literacy is key to our shared solution. By partnering to improve literacy rates, we can positively impact our:

• Skilled Workforce – Leading to higher pay, better business outcomes, and benefits to local economies.[xii]
• Economy – Generating $2.2 trillion, or 10% of annual GDP, to the US economy.[xiii]
• National Security – Improving pass rates for military entrance exams and investing in foundational skill advancement for military personnel.[xiv]
• Children’s Learning – Equipping parents and caregivers with the skills needed to boost their children’s language development and learning.[xv]
• Community Safety – Reducing recidivism by up to 43% for inmates who participate in correctional education programs and increasing job acquisition post-release.[xvi]
• Health – Saving the U.S. up to $238 billion in annual health costs and improving positive health behaviors.[xvii]
• Civic Engagement – Increasing voter participation and turnout.[xviii]

 

Recommendations for the U.S. Senate Caucus on Adult Literacy and Other Policy Influencers

Federally funded adult education programs provide education services to more than one million adult learners annually – just a tiny fraction of those in need of upskilling in foundational reading, numeracy, and digital skills. ALL IN’s research shows that the demand for skills development remains high among employers, policy influencers, and the American public.[xix]

Adults with low literacy want to build confidence and improve their skills. A recent national survey of 2,000 adults with low literacy reveals that nearly all adults surveyed (84%) want to develop their skills, but few (20%) know about existing programs, and most face barriers to enrolling, especially perceived cost of services.[xx] The lack of awareness about upskilling opportunities is a solvable problem, and once addressed, will transform our nation’s workforce and well-being.

To elevate this critical issue, ALL IN recommends policy influence in two key areas:

1. Increase public awareness and promote investment in adult education and family literacy.

• Convene and schedule a set of informational briefings to educate colleagues and policy influencers about the causes of low literacy, potential policy and programmatic solutions, such as the adult public charter school model, and the benefits that these solutions offer.
• Protect adult education funding and incorporate adult literacy into broader workforce, economic, and digital literacy policies.
• Secure access to high-quality education research, data, statistics, and evaluations, such as the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Promote evidence-based instructional and assessment practices across the field.
• Commit to communicating the value of adult literacy in the context of major policy priorities such as strengthening our workforce, national security, and health, via op-eds, employer engagement, and federal committee discussions.

2. Expand access to flexible, high quality, skills-based programs in adult education and workforce development.

• Support preparation of more Americans for in-demand, high-earning jobs through Integrated Education and Training (IET), providing foundational skills, workforce preparation, and training for adults, including incarcerated individuals. Build capacity of adult education programs and teachers to serve more adult learners.
• Advance the bipartisan, bicameral A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
• Guarantee foundational digital skills for all, including upskilling for current workers and rapid re-skilling for un- or under-employed individuals. Prioritize education-industry partnerships that connect workers with small businesses and employers in key industries.[xxi]
• Invest in two-generation approaches to improve educational attainment for children and parents, such as affordable childcare and early childhood education, for increased learning outcomes and generational economic prosperity.[xxii]
• Support policies that accelerate immigrants’ skills development and integration into the U.S. workforce and community, such as Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE), Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) initiatives, and recognition of foreign credentials.
• Strengthen our U.S. military and national security by investing in foundational skills development for new recruits and support in-demand career pathways and transitions for career service members and veterans, including CPL initiatives.

 

About the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network

The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN) is a collective impact initiative dedicated to expanding access to high-quality services for adults with low literacy skills. Guided by the National Action Plan for Adult Literacy, a groundbreaking, multisector strategy convened by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, we focus on transforming adult literacy among two interconnected groups: eligible adult learners and the education providers who serve them. Together, we are strengthening the field through research, field-building, and awareness efforts. Our work strengthens individual and collective well-being by expanding access to literacy services, supporting providers in applying proven techniques, and amplifying what works to mobilize education and workforce investment for more resilient communities – ultimately driving impact beyond what any single organization could achieve.

 

 

[i] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024, December 10). Survey of Adult Skills 2023: United States. OECD.

[ii] Rothwell, J. (2020, September 8). Assessing the Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally and Regionally in the United States.

[iii] Maag, T., & Jacoby, T. (2024, June 13). Building a stronger workforce: Federal spending on postsecondary education and training. Progressive Policy Institute.

[iv] “Nationwide Employer Survey Report,” The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (December 2023).

[v] Bergson-Shilcock, A., Taylor, R., & Hodge, N. (2023, February). Closing the Digital Skill Divide: The Payoff for Workers, Business, and the Economy. National Skills Coalition and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

[vi] Good, P. (2024, November 20). “Literacy and the future of our nation’s security.” Military Families Magazine.

[vii] Wylie, T. (2023, September 27). “Statistics highlight the importance of ‘If You Give a Child a Book…’” campaign. KRTV.

[viii] National Center for Education Statistics. (2025). NAEP reading assessment. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.

[ix] Cacicio, S. (2024, January). Improving reading skills for adult learners with dyslexia in incarcerated settings with The Noah Text®-New Century Program. ProLiteracy.

[x] Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. (2021). National Action Plan for Adult Literacy.

[xi] Waldman, A., & Swaby, A. (2022, September 12). How we analyzed literacy and voter turnout. ProPublica.

[xii] Unruh, R. (2024, July). Public perspectives on digital upskilling. National Skills Coalition.

[xiii] Rothwell, J. (2020, September 8). Assessing the Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally and Regionally in the United States.

[xiv] Mongilio, H. (2022, December). ”Tough Military Recruiting is About More than Low Unemployment, Experts Say” USNI News.

[xv] Sticht, T. (2011) “Getting it Right from the Start.” American Educator. Fall 2011.

[xvi] Stephen J. Steurer. “How to Unlock the Power of Prison Education” (Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 2020).

[xvii] Milken Institute. (2022). Health literacy in the United States: Enhancing assessments and reducing disparities.

[xviii] Waldman, A., & Swaby, A. (2022, September 12). How we analyzed literacy and voter turnout. ProPublica.

[xix] The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (2024, February 27). Advancing adult literacy: Mobilizing business & the Beltway.

[xx] Highlights from “Insights from Adults with Low Literacy Across the United States” The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (Forthcoming, March 2025).

[xxi] Unruh, R. (2024, July). Public perspectives on digital upskilling. National Skills Coalition.

[xxii] Education Commission of the States. (2020, December). Two-generation strategies to improve educational attainment.