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Table 1 (L). Percentage distribution of education participation among employed adults ages 16-74, overall and by PIAAC literacy proficiency levels: 2017
| Education participation | Total | Level 1 or below | Level 2 | Level 3 or above | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | |
| Participated in formal education in past year | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 23.7 | (0.92) | 18.3 | (2.62) | 23.7 | (2.18) | 25.5 | (1.69) |
| Yes, for job-related reasons | 15.8 | (0.85) | 11.4 | (2.43) | 15.2 | (1.67) | 17.6 | (1.51) |
| Yes, for not job-related reasons | 5.2 | (0.54) | 3.3! | (1.12) | 4.9 | (1.16) | 6.0 | (0.83) |
| Yes, for non-specified reasons | 2.7 | (0.42) | 3.6! | (1.46) | 3.6! | (1.17) | 1.8 | (0.50) |
| No | 76.3 | (0.92) | 81.7 | (2.62) | 76.3 | (2.18) | 74.5 | (1.69) |
| Highest level of formal education participated in during past year (of those that participated in formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Below high school | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | # | † | ‡ | † |
| High school credential | 21.6 | (2.17) | 37.9 | (8.70) | 27.2 | (5.16) | 14.3 | (2.46) |
| Certificate from a college or trade school | 17.1 | (1.71) | 20.5 | (5.72) | 18.0 | (3.35) | 15.9 | (2.44) |
| Associate's degree | 13.5 | (1.79) | 17.1! | (5.85) | 13.8 | (3.78) | 12.4 | (2.89) |
| Bachelor's degree | 30.4 | (2.21) | 13.8! | (5.52) | 27.1 | (5.18) | 36.3 | (4.23) |
| Graduate or professional degree | 16.7 | (1.43) | 6.5! | (3.14) | 13.9 | (3.41) | 20.8 | (2.63) |
| Participated in non-formal education in past year | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 65.1 | (1.09) | 44.4 | (3.58) | 59.5 | (2.49) | 75.4 | (1.58) |
| Yes, for job-related reasons | 57.9 | (1.07) | 40.3 | (3.90) | 52.9 | (2.37) | 66.8 | (1.65) |
| Yes, for other reasons | 7.2 | (0.61) | 4.1 | (1.28) | 6.7 | (1.37) | 8.6 | (0.79) |
| No | 34.9 | (1.09) | 55.6 | (3.58) | 40.5 | (2.49) | 24.6 | (1.58) |
| Participated in the following types of non-formal education in past year1 | ||||||||
| Open or distance education | 21.0 | (0.79) | 10.5 | (1.98) | 18.9 | (1.87) | 25.7 | (1.53) |
| On-the-job training | 50.1 | (1.17) | 35.8 | (3.35) | 46.9 | (2.52) | 56.8 | (1.77) |
| Seminars or workshops | 36.7 | (1.20) | 19.4 | (2.64) | 30.9 | (2.26) | 45.9 | (1.94) |
| Other courses or private lessons | 8.7 | (0.60) | 5.2 | (1.27) | 7.9 | (1.30) | 10.3 | (0.94) |
| Received non-formal job-related education during working hours (of those that participated in job-related non-formal training) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Only during working hours | 58.5 | (1.43) | 65.3 | (5.05) | 59.1 | (3.15) | 56.9 | (2.08) |
| Mostly during working hours | 18.9 | (1.14) | 18.3 | (4.16) | 18.7 | (2.57) | 19.2 | (1.55) |
| Mostly outside of working hours | 7.9 | (0.81) | 5.4! | (2.56) | 6.7 | (1.74) | 9.0 | (1.32) |
| Only outside of working hours | 14.7 | (1.15) | 11.1! | (3.51) | 15.5 | (2.78) | 14.9 | (1.55) |
| Employer paid for costs associated with non-formal job-related education (of those that participated in job-related non-formal training) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes, totally | 48.7 | (1.49) | 47.2 | (5.17) | 48.2 | (3.39) | 49.3 | (1.78) |
| Yes, partly | 3.8 | (0.71) | 5.1! | (2.35) | 4.0! | (1.43) | 3.5 | (0.89) |
| No, not at all (I paid all costs) | 20.4 | (1.30) | 21.0 | (4.05) | 22.0 | (2.62) | 19.5 | (1.86) |
| There were no such costs | 25.2 | (1.50) | 24.7 | (4.88) | 24.9 | (2.87) | 25.4 | (1.81) |
| No employer or prospective employer at the time | 1.8 | (0.44) | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | 2.3 | (0.66) |
| Wanted to participate in education but did not (of those who did not participate in formal or non-formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 18.5 | (1.77) | 16.6 | (3.98) | 19.0 | (3.13) | 19.5 | (2.84) |
| No | 81.5 | (1.77) | 83.4 | (3.98) | 81.0 | (3.13) | 80.5 | (2.84) |
| Reason did not participate in education (of those who wanted to participate but did not participate in formal or non-formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| I did not have the prerequisites | ‡ | † | # | † | # | † | ‡ | † |
| Education was too expensive/I could not afford it | 22.8 | (3.79) | ‡ | † | 26.9 | (7.68) | 28.0 | (6.70) |
| Lack of employer's support | ‡ | † | # | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † |
| I was too busy at work | 31.4 | (4.59) | 47.7 | (12.19) | 22.8! | (8.75) | 29.5 | (7.39) |
| The course or program was offered at an inconvenient time or place | 6.9! | (2.76) | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † |
| I did not have time because of child care or family responsibilities | 16.1 | (3.91) | 27.6! | (11.58) | 14.6! | (5.57) | 9.6! | (3.41) |
| Something unexpected came up that prevented me from taking education or training | 8.5 | (2.20) | ‡ | † | 10.1! | (4.20) | 9.3! | (4.29) |
| Other | 9.6 | (2.36) | ‡ | † | 11.3! | (4.60) | 10.7! | (4.66) |
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there were too few cases for a reliable analysis or the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is greater than 50 percent.
1 Participants could respond that they participated in multiple types of non-formal education in the past year.
NOTE: Standard error is abbreviated as s.e. PIAAC literacy proficiency levels definitions can be found on https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/measure.asp. Estimates exclude adults who could not be interviewed due to a language barrier or a cognitive or physical limitation. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates based on samples are subject to sampling variability, and apparent differences may not be statistically significant. In NCES surveys, efforts are made to minimize the effects of nonsampling errors such as item nonresponse, measurement error, data processing error, or other systematic error.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), U.S. PIAAC 2017.
Table 1 (N). Percentage distribution of education participation among employed adults ages 16-74, overall and by PIAAC numeracy proficiency levels: 2017
| Education participation | Total | Level 1 or below | Level 2 | Level 3 or above | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | Percent | s.e. | |
| Participated in formal education in past year | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 23.7 | (0.92) | 20.9 | (2.25) | 22.5 | (2.31) | 26.5 | (1.88) |
| Yes, for job-related reasons | 15.8 | (0.85) | 12.6 | (1.97) | 14.1 | (1.90) | 19.3 | (1.65) |
| Yes, for not job-related reasons | 5.2 | (0.54) | 4.2 | (0.98) | 5.4 | (1.25) | 5.7 | (1.05) |
| Yes, for non-specified reasons | 2.7 | (0.42) | 4.0! | (1.28) | 3.0 | (0.78) | 1.5! | (0.51) |
| No | 76.3 | (0.92) | 79.1 | (2.25) | 77.5 | (2.31) | 73.5 | (1.88) |
| Highest level of formal education participated in during past year (of those that participated in formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Below high school | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | # | † | ‡ | † |
| High school credential | 21.6 | (2.17) | 35.5 | (6.03) | 25.3 | (4.27) | 11.7 | (2.60) |
| Certificate from a college or trade school | 17.1 | (1.71) | 19.9 | (4.27) | 19.2 | (3.44) | 14.2 | (2.70) |
| Associate's degree | 13.5 | (1.79) | 16.9 | (3.70) | 12.6 | (3.09) | 12.3 | (3.24) |
| Bachelor's degree | 30.4 | (2.21) | 21.2 | (4.10) | 28.5 | (4.47) | 36.5 | (4.78) |
| Graduate or professional degree | 16.7 | (1.43) | 4.3! | (1.83) | 14.4 | (3.65) | 24.8 | (3.35) |
| Participated in non-formal education in past year | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 65.1 | (1.09) | 49.8 | (2.37) | 62.4 | (2.33) | 77.3 | (1.73) |
| Yes, for job-related reasons | 57.9 | (1.07) | 44.3 | (2.40) | 55.9 | (2.48) | 68.4 | (1.84) |
| Yes, for other reasons | 7.2 | (0.61) | 5.5 | (1.13) | 6.6 | (1.28) | 8.9 | (1.07) |
| No | 34.9 | (1.09) | 50.2 | (2.37) | 37.6 | (2.33) | 22.7 | (1.73) |
| Participated in the following types of non-formal education in past year1 | ||||||||
| Open or distance education | 21.0 | (0.79) | 13.5 | (1.93) | 19.3 | (1.98) | 27.3 | (1.75) |
| On-the-job training | 50.1 | (1.17) | 39.6 | (2.33) | 48.8 | (2.47) | 58.0 | (1.92) |
| Seminars or workshops | 36.7 | (1.20) | 21.2 | (1.92) | 35.2 | (2.27) | 48.0 | (2.32) |
| Other courses or private lessons | 8.7 | (0.60) | 6.1 | (1.08) | 8.0 | (1.31) | 10.9 | (1.32) |
| Received non-formal job-related education during working hours (of those that participated in job-related non-formal training) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Only during working hours | 58.5 | (1.43) | 63.1 | (4.05) | 58.7 | (3.66) | 56.4 | (2.65) |
| Mostly during working hours | 18.9 | (1.14) | 17.6 | (3.15) | 18.4 | (2.34) | 19.8 | (1.84) |
| Mostly outside of working hours | 7.9 | (0.81) | 6.5 | (1.85) | 6.7 | (1.61) | 9.4 | (1.64) |
| Only outside of working hours | 14.7 | (1.15) | 12.8 | (2.91) | 16.2 | (2.83) | 14.4 | (1.77) |
| Employer paid for costs associated with non-formal job-related education (of those that participated in job-related non-formal training) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes, totally | 48.7 | (1.49) | 47.3 | (3.62) | 48.2 | (3.16) | 49.7 | (2.09) |
| Yes, partly | 3.8 | (0.71) | 3.6! | (1.55) | 3.9! | (1.37) | 3.9 | (1.11) |
| No, not at all (I paid all costs) | 20.4 | (1.30) | 23.2 | (3.37) | 20.8 | (2.55) | 18.9 | (2.06) |
| There were no such costs | 25.2 | (1.50) | 24.4 | (3.82) | 25.1 | (3.38) | 25.6 | (1.95) |
| No employer or prospective employer at the time | 1.8 | (0.44) | ‡ | † | 2.0! | (0.95) | 1.9! | (0.70) |
| Wanted to participate in education but did not (of those who did not participate in formal or non-formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| Yes | 18.5 | (1.77) | 18.7 | (3.44) | 15.4 | (2.55) | 22.6 | (3.21) |
| No | 81.5 | (1.77) | 81.3 | (3.44) | 84.6 | (2.55) | 77.4 | (3.21) |
| Reason did not participate in education (of those who wanted to participate but did not participate in formal or non-formal education) | ||||||||
| Total | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † | 100 | † |
| I did not have the prerequisites | ‡ | † | # | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † |
| Education was too expensive/I could not afford it | 22.8 | (3.79) | 15.9! | (6.30) | 28.8! | (9.59) | 25.9 | (7.49) |
| Lack of employer's support | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † |
| I was too busy at work | 31.4 | (4.59) | 39.2 | (9.63) | 24.0! | (8.79) | 28.3 | (7.36) |
| The course or program was offered at an inconvenient time or place | 6.9! | (2.76) | ‡ | † | ‡ | † | ‡ | † |
| I did not have time because of child care or family responsibilities | 16.1 | (3.91) | 22.0! | (8.24) | † | † | 12.5! | (4.15) |
| Something unexpected came up that prevented me from taking education or training | 8.5 | (2.20) | ‡ | † | † | † | 10.1! | (4.13) |
| Other | 9.6 | (2.36) | ‡ | † | 12.1! | (5.32) | † | † |
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there were too few cases for a reliable analysis or the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is greater than 50 percent.
1 Participants could respond that they participated in multiple types of non-formal education in the past year.
NOTE: Standard error is abbreviated as s.e. PIAAC numeracy proficiency levels definitions can be found on https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/measure.asp. Estimates exclude adults who could not be interviewed due to a language barrier or a cognitive or physical limitation. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates based on samples are subject to sampling variability, and apparent differences may not be statistically significant. In NCES surveys, efforts are made to minimize the effects of nonsampling errors such as item nonresponse, measurement error, data processing error, or other systematic error.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), U.S. PIAAC 2017.
