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Results show 38–64% of employed Australians below minimal competence (Level 1–2) across prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving, with strongest need among machinery operators/drivers and labourers. It identifies an occupational hierarchy in problem-solving inconsistent with other domains, suggesting social bias and unequal outcomes, and concludes differences across occupations and skill levels are statistically significant beyond chance.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/australian-journal-of-adult-learning-volume-52-adult-language-literacy-numeracy-and-problem-solving-skills-in-the-workplace/593484/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/australian-journal-of-adult-learning-volume-52-adult-language-literacy-numeracy-and-problem-solving-skills-in-the-workplace/593484.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Jasmine","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-09","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey measure in this paper?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It focuses on four broad constructs: prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills in real-life tasks.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How many employed Australians are below minimal competence, and in which skill areas?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"About 39.5% are below minimal competence in prose literacy, 38.6% in document literacy, 44.5% in numeracy, and 64% in problem-solving.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Which occupational groups show the greatest need according to the results?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The greatest need appears among machinery operators/drivers and labourers.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},593484,1792192733,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":52,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},2336478487870,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 52, Number 1, April 2012  \nAdult language, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in the workplace  \nJames A. Athanasou University of Technology, Sydney  \nThis paper examines the performance of the eight major occupational categories across the four skill areas of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. The results indicated that some 38–64% of employed Australians were below minimal competence (at Level 1 or Level 2) in one of the four skill areas of prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy or problem-solving skills. A pattern of greatest need was identified amongst two occupational groups, namely, machinery operators/drivers and labourers. There was also a clear occupational hierarchy in the area of problem-solving skills that was considered to reflect a social bias since it was inconsistent with the three other skill areas. The findings also highlight pockets of social disadvantage and inequality with many labourers outperforming managers and professionals. It was concluded that the pattern of performance across occupations and skill levels was statistically and significantly different than chance.  \n174 James A. Athanasou  \nAdult language, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in the workplace  \nAt some time almost everyone would have encountered a lack of competence in adult levels of literacy and numeracy. Without any wider experience, it is likely that they might perceive it as an isolated instance or just an individual issue. This is because they would not normally be in a position to gauge the extent of the deficit at a macrolevel.  \nThe general issue of literacy has been addressed at a national level since 1996. Reading was assessed as part of an international study through theAdult Literacy and Life Skills Survey that is conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey assessed prose literacy and document literacy, as well as numeracy and the ability to solve problems using real-life tasks. This official survey reported the raw data in terms of five skill level categories but of necessity did not purport to make analyses beyond the basic socio-demographic groups. For instance, it did not make comparisons across occupational groups to provide a picture of literacy and numeracy in the workplace.  \nThe purpose of this brief report is to analyse the results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey as a guide for future emphasis in adult training and labour market programs. The approach is overly quantitative but the interpretation of the results is descriptive. This study is part of a larger program of research that focuses on the fundamental importance of reading in the workplace (Athanasou 2011) .  \nBackground to the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey  \nThe Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) focuses on four broad constructs:  \nAdult language, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills 175  \n• Prose literacy: the ability to understand and use information from various kinds of narrative texts, including texts from newspapers, magazines and brochures;  \n• Document literacy: the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in various formats including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tablesand charts;  \n• Numeracy: the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage and respond to the mathematical demands of diverse situations; and  \n• Problem solving: goal-directed thinking and action in situations for which no routine solution is available (Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey 2006: 4)  \nThe five skill levels of the survey range from Level 1 (the lowest) to the combined Levels 4 and 5 (highest levels) . Level 3 is cited as the minimum standard adequate for coping with demands in a developed economy. The results are reported comprehensively in the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Catalogue No. 4228.0 (re-issued in January ","cbCaio2LTdFU9lpW","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio2LTdFU9lpW","pdf",156881,"English","# Adult language, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in the workplace\n## Background to the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey\n## Four constructs and skill levels\n## Skill levels across employed people (Table 1)\n## Interpreting survey findings and comparisons\n## Skill level characteristic of an occupation (Table 2)","[{\"question\":\"What does the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey measure in this paper?\",\"answer\":\"It focuses on four broad constructs: prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills in real-life tasks.\"},{\"question\":\"How many employed Australians are below minimal competence, and in which skill areas?\",\"answer\":\"About 39.5% are below minimal competence in prose literacy, 38.6% in document literacy, 44.5% in numeracy, and 64% in problem-solving.\"},{\"question\":\"Which occupational groups show the greatest need according to the results?\",\"answer\":\"The greatest need appears among machinery operators/drivers and labourers.\"}]","Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 52 - Adult language, literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in the workplace | PDF",1792077334,25]