Literacy is key to success at work

Poor literacy at work is still a major problem, new research has found.

The report, Literacy: State of the Nation, examined the UK’s literacy levels both in schools and in the workplace.

While a quarter of young people see no connection between reading and success, the research results made the link clear. Two-thirds of men and three-quarters of women with low literacy levels had never received a promotion.

The knock-on effect could be costing the rest of the country too, according to the National Literacy Trust, which published the report. The findings are ‘extremely worrying’, says Jonathan Douglas, the Trust’s director. ‘It is estimated that poor literacy costs the economy £2.5bn a year.’

Worrying indeed.