Title page
Contents
Acknowledgments 5
Introduction 11
U.S. Student and Employment Status Variable 17
A First Look at U.S. PIAAC Data With the Student and Employment Status Variable 21
References 30
More Information About PIAAC 31
Appendix A: Methodology and Technical Notes 32
Appendix B: Construction of the Student and Employment Status Variable 39
Appendix C: Proficiency Level Results for the Student and Employment Status Variable by Selected Demographic Characteristics 43
Table 1. Average scores of adults age 16 to 34 on the PIAAC literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scales, by participating country and region: 2012-2015 12
Table 2. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 assessed in PIAAC, by current status/work history-employment status (derived) (CD05) and education-currently studying (BQ02A): 2012 and 2014 15
Table 3. Percentage distribution of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 and their average scores on the PIAAC literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scales , by current... 19
Table 4. Percentage distribution of U.S. adults age 16 to 34, by selected characteristics and current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 28
Figure 1. Percentage distribution of U.S. adults age 16 to 34, by current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 21
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of U.S. adults age 16 to 34, by current student and employment status and age interval: 2012 and 2014 22
Figure 3. Average scores of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 on the PIAAC literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scales, by current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 23
Figure 4-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 24
Figure 4-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 25
Figure 4-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status: 2012 and 2014 26
Exhibits
Exhibit 1. Employment and education variables in PIAAC 14
Exhibit 2. Student and employment status variable categories for U.S. adults age 16 to 34 17
Exhibit 3. Criteria for student and employment variable categorization 18
Table A-1. Weighted response rate for U.S. adults age 16 to 34, by survey component and sample: 2012 and 2014 34
Table B-1. Number of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 assessed in PIAAC, by the student and employment status variable (EMPSTAT): 2012 and 2014 40
Table B-2. Number of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 assessed in PIAAC, by current status/work history - employment status (derived) (CD05) and current situation - self reported (CQ07): 2012 and 2014 41
Table B-3. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 assessed in PIAAC, by student and employment status (EMPSTAT) and work and education status derived variable (EDWORK): 2012 and 2014 42
Figure C-1-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and gender: 2012 and 2014 43
Figure C-1-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and gender: 2012 and 2014 44
Figure C-1-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and... 45
Figure C-2-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and race/ethnicity: 2012 and 2014 46
Figure C-2-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and race/ethnicity: 2012 and 2014 47
Figure C-2-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and... 48
Figure C-3-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they were born in the United States: 2012 and 2014 49
Figure C-3-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they were born in the United States: 2012 and 2014 50
Figure C-3-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and... 51
Figure C-4-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and highest level of parental education: 2012 and 2014 52
Figure C-4-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and highest level of parental education: 2012 and 2014 53
Figure C-4-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment... 54
Figure C-5-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they have children: 2012 and 2014 55
Figure C-5-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they have children: 2012 and 2014 56
Figure C-5-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status... 57
Figure C-6-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and highest level of educational attainment: 2012 and 2014 58
Figure C-6-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and highest level of educational attainment: 2012 and 2014 59
Figure C-6-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status and... 60
Figure C-7-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they participated in non-formal education... 61
Figure C-7-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and whether they participated in non-formal education... 62
Figure C-7-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status and... 63
Figure C-8-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 who were full-time employed performing at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by monthly earnings including bonuses for wage and salary... 64
Figure C-8-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 who were full-time employed performing at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by monthly earnings including bonuses for wage and salary... 65
Figure C-8-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 who were full-time employed performing at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by monthly... 66
Figure C-9-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and occupational classification: 2012 and 2014 67
Figure C-9-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and occupational classification: 2012 and 2014 68
Figure C-9-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status and... 69
Figure C-10-A. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale, by current student and employment status and area of study for their highest level of educational attainment: 2012 and 2014 70
Figure C-10-B. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC numeracy scale, by current student and employment status and area of study for their highest level of educational attainment: 2012 and 2014 71
Figure C-10-C. Percentage of U.S. adults age 16 to 34 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC problem solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) scale, by current student and employment status and... 72
Appendix Exhibits
Exhibit A-1. PIAAC Main Study and National Supplement yield for U.S. adults age 16 to 34: 2012 and 2014 37