Problem-Solving Skills of the U.S. Workforce and Preparedness for Job Automation

Abstract

Automation and advanced technologies have increased the need for a better understanding of the skills necessary to have a globally competitive workforce. This study used data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to compare problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments among adults in South Korea, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Overall, the United States had the lowest scores among all countries, and in all countries scores declined with age. The United States had higher proportions of survey participants in the lowest skill category and lower proportions in the top-skill categories. The results of this study suggest changes in the U.S. educational and lifelong learning systems, and policies may be necessary to ensure all adults have the necessary skills in a competitive workforce.

Factors Affecting Employees’ Problem-Solving Skills in Technology-Rich Environments in Japan and Korea

“…Furthermore, the Japan scores are higher than those for Korea in every age group. This is consistent with the findings of Cummins et al [13]. It is interesting to note that the PSTRE score gap in Japan is the largest between the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups (20.23), but in Korea, there is no significant gap in the PSTRE between these two groups.…”

“…The PIAAC data provide information on adults' proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in TRE considering various background characteristics for over 40 participating countries [12]. Most related research has focused on the United States and European countries [1,7,13,14]; few studies have focused on Asian countries. This research takes a significant first step in understanding PSTRE in the context of Asia, particularly Japan and Korea, and offers critical practical implications that will be useful in improving employees' problem-solving proficiency.…”

Achieving a ‘Good AI Society’: Comparing the Aims and Progress of the EU and the US

“…In 2018, the US was ranked 9th out of 25 advanced economies in terms of readiness for automation, with vocational technical training considered inadequate (Paquette, 2018). Other studies echo this finding, pointing to the US as having weaker problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments than a number of other developed countries, with suggestions made that further lifelong training programmes are needed (Cummins et al, 2019).…”

Education Crisis, Workforce Preparedness, and COVID‐19: Reflections and Recommendations

“…Workforce preparedness is an outcome of higher education that impacts the current and future nature of work and education (Jackson et al 2016). Even before the pandemic, industry leaders expressed concerns that those graduating from the educational system lacked the skills required by the labor market (Cummins et al 2019). Although these concerns included recent graduates and new hires, many industry leaders believed the problem extended to their existing workforce as well, claiming that at least a quarter of their employees would need to be retrained or replaced due to advances in automation or digitization (Illanes et al 2018).…”