Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL)

2. USES OF DATA

ALL sought to provide researchers with information on skill gain and loss in the adult population. This was achieved through the measurement of prose and document literacy. Furthermore, the study extended the range of skills measured by adding tasks for problem–solving, numeracy, and ICT skills. This allows researchers to examine the profiles of important foundation skills. The study makes it possible to explore the interrelationships among skill domains as well as their links to major antecedents and outcomes, such as the quantity and quality of initial education and the impact of skills on employability, wages, and health.

In addition, information from ALL addresses questions such as the following: 

• What is the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills among American adults? How do these skill distributions compare to those of other countries? 


• What is the relationship between these literacy skills and the economic, social, and personal characteristics of individuals? For example: Do different age or linguistic groups manifest different skill levels? Do males and females perform differently? At what kinds of jobs do people at various literacy levels work? What wages do they earn? How do adults who have completed different levels of education perform?


• What is the relationship between these skills and the economic and social characteristics of nations? For example, how do the skills of the adult labor force of a country match up with areas of the economy that are growing?