The Monograph Serie

This study uses Canadian data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) to investigate the relationship between labour market success and literacy skills, specifically prose literacy, document literacy and quantitative literacy or numeracy. Earnings is the most commonly used and widely accepted measure of labour market success.

Statistics Canada and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) have sponsored a series of studies based on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). The present study uses direct measures of literacy skill levels provided by the IALS to estimate the return to literacy skills. It examines the validity of averaging literacy scores across jurisdictions.

This report suggests that youth in North America do not fare as well in their literacy skills as their European counterparts. The findings were based on data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) which was conducted in seven countries in 1994, and later extended to include 24 countries.

The International Adult Literacy Survey(IALS) was a seven-country initiative conducted in the fall of 1994. The Canadian component of the IALS study was primarily funded by the Applied Research Branch and the National Literacy Secretariat of Human Resources Development Canada. This document, published by Statistics Canada, is a report that stems from IALS.

Little systematic research has been done on how workers actually use their literacy skills in their jobs. Previous research has focused mainly on individuals' literacy “deficits” and the need for remedial training.

More and more research demonstrates that social, demographic and economic factors and practices affect the health of a population. However, much less is known about literacy skills and practices among those with higher health risks. Understanding these relationships is important, since weak literacy skills may impede good health care practices and healthy lifestyle decisions.

This study examines the distribution of literacy skills of Canadian youth. Adults aged 16 to 25 can be described as "in transition" from completing their formal schooling to entering the labour market, so the data can be used to examine the effects of formal schooling on literacy levels. Provincial differences in literacy levels are also examined, as are differences in individuals of varying backgrounds and personal characteristics.

This study uses data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) to look at employee training in the seven participating countries: Canada, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Sweden. The term training is used throughout this study to refer to the lifelong training activities of employees, past the initial stage of formal education. The results are presented here from the Canadian perspective.