The Economic Payoffs to Workplace Literacy

Authors

Kevin Hollenbeck, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment ResearchFollow

Series

Upjohn Institute Working Paper No. 93-21

**Published Version**

In Literacy Networks: A Journal of Literacy Providers 1(1): [19]-41

DOI

10.17848/wp93-21

Issue Date

August 1993

Abstract

This paper focuses on one of the potential benefits to improving the Nation's literacy the economic payoffs. A more literate workforce provides economic benefits to the members of the workforce themselves, to employers, and to society. Workers who improve their basic skills through participation in workplace literacy programs should be more productive and hence earn higher wages and have greater job security. Employers with more productive workers will be more competitive in their industries and will be more profitable. Society gains by having a more productive and stable economy, by having more individuals employed with higher earnings and thus paying more in taxes, and by having fewer individuals unemployed who would otherwise be drawing transfer income from the government.

Subject Areas

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; On the job training; Employer provided training