Low literacy is not only a social concern but has vast implications for the workforce and economy, as well as health, national security, and educational outcomes for children.
The need is great as outlined in our field’s shared recommendations:
- Close to 60 million adults in the U.S. are at the lowest level of literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills (OECD, 2023)
- Over 20 million adults in the U.S. lack a high school credential, and another 20 million would benefit from English upskilling (ACS, 2024).
- Children of parents with low literacy have a 72% chance of experiencing low literacy themselves and are more likely to live in poverty (Wiley, 2023). Only 31% of the nation’s fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders read at grade level (NAEP, 2025).
- 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 (Mongilio, 2022).
The good news is that this problem is solvable, and adult education (WIOA-Title II) provides foundational education, digital skills, English learning, and workforce preparation for more than a million adults across the U.S., including those without a high school diploma.
Research from the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN) and FTI Consulting shows that adults with low literacy recognize the value of education and want to improve their skills. Adults without a high school diploma, as well as younger learners and job seekers, were particularly likely to say that improving literacy skills is very important. The biggest barriers to education for adults with low literacy include: lack of awareness about available programs and perceived costs of services.
At a time of workforce shortages and growing economic demands, the nation should be strengthening Adult Education and Family Literacy— not eliminating it.
We ask that the United States Congress invest in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA, Title II of WIOA), and ensure that every adult can improve their skills for stronger families and communities.