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Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): Low Skills Thematic Report. Research Report

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Title: Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): Low Skills Thematic Report. Research Report
Language: English
Authors: Lisa Kuhn, Juan Manuel del Pozo Segura, Jose Liht, Rebecca Wheater, Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)
Source: UK Department for Education. 2026.
Availability: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 56
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Adults, Skill Development, Individual Characteristics, Income, Foreign Countries, Educational Attainment, Literacy, Numeracy, Employment Level
Geographic Terms: Canada, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom (England)
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
ISBN: 978-1-83870-769-9
Abstract: The 2023 OECD Survey of Adult Skills (Cycle 2) found around 20% of adults in England (aged 16-65) had low basic skills in literacy, numeracy, or both. This represents an estimated 8.5 million adults (Wheater et al., 2024). In 2012 (Cycle 1), it was estimated that 9 million adults had low skills in literacy, numeracy or both (OECD, 2020). Therefore, while there has been a small improvement since 2012, the number of adults with low skills remains high and with many sectors currently facing skills shortages, upskilling adults remains a key priority. England performs better than the international average, with lower proportions of low performers than most OECD countries (Wheater et al., 2024). However, progress has been uneven; whilst numeracy skills have improved since 2012, literacy skills have shown no marked improvement. This report aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of adults with low skills in England and how has this changed over time?; (2) What is the relationship between low skills and employment?; (3) What is the relationship between low skills and earnings?; and (4) What do the education trajectories for adults with low skills look like? Throughout this report the authors make international comparisons to other countries who took part in this survey. They compare England with individual comparison countries, including other G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, but excluding Japan) and two high-performing Northern European countries (namely, Finland and Sweden). In this report, the authors call these countries 'comparator countries'. They also make comparisons between England and an average of 21 countries who participated in both 2012 and 2023 (including England). They refer to this as the average of 'Cycle 1 comparator countries'.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679912
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): Low Skills Thematic Report. Research Report
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  Data: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
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  Data: The 2023 OECD Survey of Adult Skills (Cycle 2) found around 20% of adults in England (aged 16-65) had low basic skills in literacy, numeracy, or both. This represents an estimated 8.5 million adults (Wheater et al., 2024). In 2012 (Cycle 1), it was estimated that 9 million adults had low skills in literacy, numeracy or both (OECD, 2020). Therefore, while there has been a small improvement since 2012, the number of adults with low skills remains high and with many sectors currently facing skills shortages, upskilling adults remains a key priority. England performs better than the international average, with lower proportions of low performers than most OECD countries (Wheater et al., 2024). However, progress has been uneven; whilst numeracy skills have improved since 2012, literacy skills have shown no marked improvement. This report aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of adults with low skills in England and how has this changed over time?; (2) What is the relationship between low skills and employment?; (3) What is the relationship between low skills and earnings?; and (4) What do the education trajectories for adults with low skills look like? Throughout this report the authors make international comparisons to other countries who took part in this survey. They compare England with individual comparison countries, including other G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, but excluding Japan) and two high-performing Northern European countries (namely, Finland and Sweden). In this report, the authors call these countries 'comparator countries'. They also make comparisons between England and an average of 21 countries who participated in both 2012 and 2023 (including England). They refer to this as the average of 'Cycle 1 comparator countries'.
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      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Adults
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      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Income
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      – TitleFull: Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (PIAAC): Low Skills Thematic Report. Research Report
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