OECD Report: Education Levels Rising Among Adults, but Skills Lag Behind
The 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, conducted by the OECD as part of its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), reveals mixed outcomes in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving skills among adults across 31 participating countries. While nations such as Finland, Japan, and the Netherlands excel, 18% of adults in OECD countries lack basic proficiency in any of these domains.
Over the past decade, only Denmark and Finland improved in literacy proficiency, while other countries experienced stagnation or decline. Numeracy fared slightly better, with notable progress in Finland and Singapore. However, skill gaps widened between highly and less educated populations, underscoring the need for lifelong learning initiatives. Higher education does not always correlate with advanced skills.
About one-third of OECD workers are mismatched in their jobs, leading to lower wages and reduced life satisfaction. This highlights the urgent need to align education with labor market demands through modular training and improved career guidance. Socio-economic disparities persist, as adults with highly educated parents significantly outperform peers from less educated backgrounds. This trend is most pronounced in Israel, Switzerland, and Hungary, but less evident in Spain.
Despite the increase in internet usage, climbing from 76% in 2012 to 93% in 2023, proficiency levels remain insufficient to meet the demands of modern economies. Policymakers are urged to focus on adaptive, lifelong learning systems to bridge skill gaps and ensure that education investments translate into tangible societal and economic benefits.