Occupational mismatch is a highly debated phenomenon in developed countries, but rarely addressed in developing economies. This study investigates the magnitudes of overeducation and overskilling in four Latin American countries in which tertiary education has expanded rapidly (i.e. Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru). Using objective and subjective…

This exploratory analysis documents and examines the differences in the information processing skill proficiencies (low, middle, high) of Black adults in the U.S. (ages 16-74) by key socioeconomic and related demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, employment, health). Illuminating bridges and barriers (factors of success)…

Learning disabilities (LD) impact the lives of many U.S. adults, who may also have other disabilities and health conditions. Adults with LD face educational and employment challenges. Little is known about their skills in digital literacy and how they use those skills at work or at home. The study's objective was to investigate digital literacy…

Today's workplace is going through tremendous changes and becoming highly complex in terms of technology and tasks. Thus, critical problem-solving skills are key to creating a sustainable career in today's global economy. Indeed, the global COVID-19 epidemic has amplified the need for these skills in almost all occupations. This study examined the…

In this new policy report, the fourth in a series examining the impact of human capital in the American labor market from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Center for Research on Human Capital Education, the authors take a unique perspective on the critical link between human capital and labor market outcomes by expanding the analysis to…

In this study, we investigated the factors associated with education-job mismatches among US workers by immigrant generation. We used the data from the U.S. sample of the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and documented the distribution of education-job mismatches across selected independent variables. We…

This report makes the case for a shift in emphasis in U.S. education and workforce development policy. Specifically, the report sets out a rationale for investing more in upgrading the foundational skill levels of the U.S. workforce. The report summarizes the results of studies that used data from the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey…

The need for adult education and training (AET) is substantial, as labour markets require advanced skills. We used data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) for Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States (U.S.) to compare participation in AET by high- and low-skilled adults.…

We know that opportunities exist in the United States, but if we hope to share these more equitably, we need to better understand the ways opportunities currently vary among individuals, families, states, and regions of the country. Using key measures of well-being (including poverty, income, employment, safety, and health) for each state, along…

In this paper, the second in the "Impact of Human Capital in the American Labor Market" series, the authors reveal that there are large groups of college graduates who lose out on the seemingly automatic earnings premium from their degree, and that their failure is related to a lack of skills. One of every five bachelor's degree holders…

Drawing on the PIAAC data, in this paper I examine how motivational factors such as motivation to learn and grit are related to low-numerate adults' employment status and their actual participation in lifelong learning in Germany, the United States and South Korea. In particular, the study uses PIAAC self-reported data on the degree to which the…

According to practice engagement theory within the field of adult education, everyday workplace activities offer an opportunity for skill development among youth and young adults; yet, prior research highlights the prevalence of routine and low-skill work within entry-level jobs. Utilising data from the Programme for the International Assessment…

Using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this Data Point summarizes the number of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy and describes how they differ by nativity status and race/ethnicity. PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16-65) that assesses…

Background: In Germany, three large-scale surveys--the Level One Study (LEO), the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), and the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS)--provide complementary data on adults' literacy skills that can be harnessed to study adults with low literacy. To ensure that research on…

College-educated immigrants in the United States are more likely to have advanced degrees and to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields than their U.S.-born peers with college degrees. But their educational levels have not always translated into occupational gains: They are more likely than U.S.-born workers to be…