Illiterate people are more likely to be on welfare or unemployment benefits

Illiteracy affects 18% of US adults (approximately 57.4 million people), most commonly impacting black people, Hispanic people, and low-income individuals. Illiteracy is perpetuated from one generation to the next and leads to higher chances of unemployment and poverty.

Illiteracy has many negative impacts on individuals and society. Overall, low literate adults participate less in the labor force, earn less, and are less likely to read to their children, which may stunt their children’s literacy development.9 As illiteracy may be passed from parent to child, subsequent generations are likely to suffer from unemployment and poverty.