National Adult Literacy Database

The study presented here examines the link between literacy, the economy, and individual income, the premise being that an individual with greater literacy skills would be expected to have better employment opportunities and command higher earnings. The authors begin by examining the distribution of literacy skills in the Canadian economy and how they are generated, looking in particular at schooling and parental influence. Next, they discuss the nature of literacy generation in the years after individuals have left formal schooling and are in the labour market.

They conclude by examining the impact of increased literacy on individual earnings, investigating both the causal impact of literacy on earnings and the joint distribution of literacy and income. For this study, the authors use data from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey and the Canadian component of the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey.