Adult Literacy Skills and Risk of Job Automation Among Middle-Aged and Older Workers in the United States

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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19394225241302158

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https://doi.org/10.1177/19394225241302158
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/37545

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UMBC Faculty Collection
UMBC Center for Health, Equity, & Aging (CHEA)
UMBC Erickson School of Aging Studies
UMBC Gerontology Program
UMBC Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health Department
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Author/Creator ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2748-1812
 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2325-126X

Date

2024-12-13

Type of Work

journal articles
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Citation of Original Publication

Narine, Donnette, Takashi Yamashita, Runcie C. W. Chidebe, Phyllis A. Cummins, Jenna W. Kramer, and Rita Karam. "Adult Literacy Skills and Risk of Job Automation Among Middle-Aged and Older Workers in the United States". New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. (December 13, 2024): 19394225241302158. https://doi.org/10.1177/19394225241302158.

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© 2025 by SAGE Publications. Use is restricted to non-commercial and no derivatives.

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Abstract

Job automation can undermine economic security for workers in general, and older workers, in particular. In this respect, consistently updating one’s knowledge and skills is essential for being competitive in a technology-driven labor market. Older workers with lower adult literacy skills experience difficulties with continuous education and skills development, which can contribute to their economic uncertainty. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the correlation between adult literacy skills and job automation risk. We analyzed a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older workers (age 50+ years; n = 1,880) from the 2012/2014/2017 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) dataset. The survey-weighted linear regression results showed that lower job automation risks (0%–100%) were a function of higher adult literacy skills (score 0–500 points: b = −.052, p < .05), after adjusting for relevant covariates (R-squared = .19).