Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Adult Literacy Skills in the United States

Adult literacy skills are critical assets of individuals as well as societies in terms of economic (e.g., human capital) and social well-being. Thus, it is important to monitor the long-term trends and sources of skill gain/loss. Yet, temporal sources of adult literacy skill variation are understudied. The current study analyzed three comparable, nationally representative datasets including the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey; the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey; and the 2012/2014/2017 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Results from the age-period-cohort hierarchical cross-classified random effects model showed significant variation in adult literacy skills across cohorts (1930-1995) and time periods (1994-2017). Possible implications for adult education policies and future research needs were evaluated.