Introduction
Portions of the United States general population and those incarcerated lack basic literacy and numeracy skills that are essential to employment. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy can be summarized as having the ability to compare information from texts and make basic inferences and being able to solve mathematical calculations with whole numbers, decimals, and percentages (Rampey et al., 2016). Portions of the population lacking in these skills often have less than a high school degree, making them limited in the jobs they can obtain which are commonly replaced by technology or outsourced to third-party companies decreasing the number of full-time workers hired (Haderlie, 2017). Having higher literacy skills provides more opportunities in higher-level occupations; therefore, being deficient in these skills limits the chance to obtain higher-income jobs.
Impact of Literacy Skills on Employment Opportunities and Career Advancement
Obtaining and maintaining a job is an obstacle that we all face, whether we succeed or fail often relies on our educational credentials, surrounding support system, and skill acquisition. Literacy proficiency is positively related to academic accreditation and full-time employment (Sum, 1999). About 25% of the US population is considered deficit in literacy, and those who did not complete high school increase this percentage which makes it difficult to find employment because they are unqualified for many jobs that require reading skills (Haderlie et. al., 2017) For example, those who are employed tend to have better literacy than those who are not (Carpentieri et al., 2016). Therefore, without those basic skills accrediting the applicant, most employers dismiss granting further opportunities. In a self-report survey, only 12% of the total respondents had routine occupations, but they accounted for 30% of respondents who felt they had poor literacy skills (Carpentieri et al., 2016). While not being proficient in skills is not equivalent to needing to improve, having higher literacy skills does provide more opportunities in higher-level occupations; therefore, lacking these skills limits the chance to earn higher-income jobs.
Numeracy Deficits and Their Impact on Employment and Income Opportunities
Numeracy deficits tend to be more common than literacy deficits in the US. A study found that 60% of respondents from across the world declined to answer or answered incorrectly to a basic mathematical question demonstrating low numeracy skills. It is especially common in low-income countries to have poor numeracy skills, and this skill deficit may be linked to these countries’ low-income levels (Bruine de Bruin et al., 2021). A survey of US employees found that 26% of those who did not feel adequate in their own numeracy skills had routine occupations, while 12% of all respondents had routine occupations (Carpentieri et al., 2016). Lacking basic knowledge or abilities, such as being able to solve math problems, makes it hard to obtain higher-paying jobs, and limits income and overall quality of life. This is due in part to the constraints on getting degrees or other accreditations needed to get hired.
The Impact of Literacy and Numeracy Deficits on Post-Prison Opportunities
Due to their record, prison inmates face more barriers than the general public through difficulty finding jobs once released. Employers look for problem-solving skills along with oral and written communication skills (Top 5 Skills Employers Look For). With limited access to materials to better their knowledge in mathematics and reading, prison inmates are at a disadvantage when it comes to improving these deficits. The prison population in the United States faces the most need to improve literacy and numeracy with 29% of prison inmates below basic in literacy skills and 52% below basic in numeracy skills. Compared to the general population in the United States having 19% below basic literacy skills and 29% below basic numeracy skills (Rampey et al., 2016). Although there are limited resources while incarcerated, maintaining a job improves literacy despite not having access to educational materials to improve literacy and numeracy deficits. A survey found that prison inmates who held a job while in prison scored, on average, higher on literacy assessments than other prisoner inmates that did not have a job while incarcerated (Rampey et al., 2016). The necessity for this population to improve their deficits in basic knowledge is because once released maintaining a job prevents recidivism.
Conclusion
Literacy and numeracy skill deficits affect not only people from understanding basic communication and mathematics, but also from achieving accreditation and higher paying jobs. The portion of the United States general population deficit in these areas perceive themselves as disadvantaged, further affecting their perception of themselves, holding them back from improving these deficits, and obtaining higher paying jobs. Those incarcerated in prison experience this disadvantage, as well, by only having limited materials to improve their skill needs. Improving literacy and numeracy skills are paramount for not only the individuals job stability and income, and therefore quality of life, but also eliminating the negative effects on the total income of the United States.
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