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America S Investment In Education Is Lagging And The Workforce Pays

Leo Migdal
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america s investment in education is lagging and the workforce pays

Sign up for our free newsletter and start your day with clear-headed reporting on the latest topics in education. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter For much of the 20th century, the United States set the global standard for higher education, driving economic expansion, technological innovation and middle-class stability. A college degree was a reliable pathway to prosperity. Today, that reality is slipping away.

The U.S. now ranks 20th globally in post-high school attainment among 25- to 34-year-olds, according to OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 report, the latest look at educational achievement around the world. That means proportionally fewer Americans in this age group earn associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or other credentials than their international peers. Meanwhile, countries such as South Korea (69.3% attainment), Canada (66.9%) and Japan (65.5%) have surged ahead by prioritizing education and workforce development through sustained public investment, affordability initiatives and alignment with labor market needs. In contrast, with an attainment rate of just under 55%, the U.S. has seen investment in higher education stagnate, leading to rising tuition costs and declining confidence in the value of a degree.

Recent layoffs at the Department of Education, cuts to state university budgets and even some college closures have only deepened the crisis, leaving fewer resources for student services, academic programs and the educators who... Instead of strengthening the system that once made America an economic powerhouse, the country is retreating, and the consequences are dire. For much of the 20th century, the United States set the global standard for higher education, driving economic expansion, technological innovation and middle-class stability. A college degree was a reliable pathway to prosperity. Today, that reality is slipping away. The U.S.

now ranks 20th globally in post-high school attainment among 25- to 34-year-olds, according to OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 report, the latest look at educational achievement around the world. That means proportionally fewer Americans in this age group earn associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or other credentials than their international peers. Meanwhile, countries such as South Korea (69.3% attainment), Canada (66.9%) and Japan (65.5%) have surged ahead by prioritizing education and workforce development through sustained public investment, affordability initiatives and alignment with labor market needs. In contrast, with an attainment rate of just under 55%, the U.S. has seen investment in higher education stagnate, leading to rising tuition costs and declining confidence in the value of a degree. Recent layoffs at the Department of Education, cuts to state university budgets and even some college closures have only deepened the crisis, leaving fewer resources for student services, academic programs and the educators who...

Instead of strengthening the system that once made America an economic powerhouse, the country is retreating, and the consequences are dire. Other nations understand that a highly educated workforce is critical to economic success. For decades, they have expanded public investment, updated education systems to match evolving industries and strengthened workforce training programs. By prioritizing lifelong learning and ensuring education leads to economic mobility, these nations have steadily closed the gap and, in some cases, surpassed the U.S. in educational attainment and workforce readiness. Norway and Sweden provide tuition-free higher education, funded by public investment, that ensures equitable access to learning opportunities.

Germany’s dual apprenticeship system integrates classroom learning with paid, on-the-job training, producing well-prepared graduates for industry demands. Switzerland has a vocational education system that allows students to split their time between school and work in fields like health care, information technology and advanced manufacturing. Singapore’s SkillsFuture program gives adults financial credits they can use to pursue short courses and certificates at any stage of their careers. In Finland, adults can attend publicly funded retraining programs to gain new skills when industries shift or disappear. News, original reporting and insight about U.S. education and the 74 million children whose lives depend on it.

For much of the 20th century, the United States set the global standard for higher education, driving economic expansion, technological innovation and middle-class stability. A college degree was a reliable pathway to prosperity. Today, that reality is slipping away. The U.S. now ranks 20th globally in post-high school attainment among 25- to 34-year-olds, according to OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 report, the latest look at educational achievement around the world. That means proportionally fewer Americans in this age group earn associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or other credentials than their international peers.

Meanwhile, countries such as South Korea (69.3% attainment), Canada (66.9%) and Japan (65.5%) have surged ahead by prioritizing education and workforce development through sustained public investment, affordability initiatives and alignment with labor market needs. In contrast, with an attainment rate of just under 55%, the U.S. has seen investment in higher education stagnate, leading to rising tuition costs and declining confidence in the value of a degree. Recent layoffs at the Department of Education, cuts to state university budgets and even some college closures have only deepened the crisis, leaving fewer resources for student services, academic programs and the educators who... Instead of strengthening the system that once made America an economic powerhouse, the country is retreating, and the consequences are dire. Other nations understand that a highly educated workforce is critical to economic success.

For decades, they have expanded public investment, updated education systems to match evolving industries and strengthened workforce training programs. By prioritizing lifelong learning and ensuring education leads to economic mobility, these nations have steadily closed the gap and, in some cases, surpassed the U.S. in educational attainment and workforce readiness. Sari Factor is Chief Strategy Officer at Imagine Learning, one of the largest digital curriculum providers in the U.S. Since leaving the classroom over 40 years ago, around the same time as “A Nation at Risk” was published, I have remained deeply embedded in education, working to develop tools to support educators in... The attack on federal funding for education research and the latest NAEP scores, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” are dispiriting—especially the widening disparity between high-performing and low-performing learners.

The downward trend in proficiency, which preceded the pandemic, is a harbinger of the decline of America’s global competitiveness and economic power in the decades ahead. Knowing that educational outcomes are inextricably linked to our economy, governors and education leaders are grappling with this consistent decline in the face of a K-12 labor shortage, technological change and the aftereffects of... As a country, it’s important to revisit the first principles of learning and schooling: • Kids need to attend school. Teaching and learning are social endeavors. Schooling plays an important part in helping prepare learners for successful participation in civil life, and interaction with peers reinforces the academic skills and concepts being taught.

Chronic absenteeism is damaging both to the individual student who misses school and their entire class because, when they return, the teacher must work to catch them up while keeping the rest of the... Unless you are homeschooling or your child is truly ill, it’s important that kids attend school. We have a crisis—of priorities. We say education matters. We say we care about the workforce. But when it’s time to invest?

We flinch. Here’s the reality: America now ranks 20th in the world when it comes to education levels for adults 25–34. That’s not a typo. That’s a warning. In my latest piece for The 74, I break down what this means—not just for individuals, but for our economy, our workforce, and our future. Millions of talented people are locked out of opportunity.

Employers are struggling to find qualified workers. Our country is falling behind. This isn’t just an education issue. It’s an investment issue. And we need to stop treating education like a nice-to-have—and start funding it like our future depends on it. (Because it does.) So, the choice is ours.

Invest in education and strengthen the workforce, or keep falling behind and pay the price. Which path are we choosing? This message couldn’t be more urgent Courtney Brown—or more true. Thank you for calling out what so many of us in adult education see every day: we don’t have a talent gap—we have an investment gap. Adult education is a critical part of the solution, helping millions of individuals gain the skills, credentials, and confidence they need to contribute to our workforce and economy. But these programs can’t operate without funding.

We can’t afford to flinch now. 📣 If you believe in strengthening our future, we invite you to take action today: 👉 https://coabe.org/faces-of-adult-education Raquel Muñiz , Andrés Castro Samayoa, Shane Dunn America’s education system is dangerously out of sync with the speed and scale of A.I., and if it doesn’t catch up soon, it could trigger the largest unemployment crisis since the Great Depression. In just the first half of 2025, A.I. has already contributed—directly or indirectly—to the elimination of over 80,000 jobs across nearly 400 major corporations.

Microsoft cut 6,000 positions in May. IBM laid off 8,000 employees as part of a broader effort to integrate A.I. into its operations. Salesforce cut 1,000 roles earlier this year and has paused hiring for customer service agents, engineers and lawyers, allowing A.I.-powered tools to fill gaps. Intel is set to slash 15 to 20 percent of its factory workforce, and Meta continues automating roles that once required human oversight. By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties.

You can opt out anytime. Estimates suggest that 25 to 50 percent of jobs face significant A.I. exposure, impacting 40 to 80 million Americans in the coming years. Yet our education and retraining systems are wholly unprepared for a shift of this magnitude. The misalignment is structural: traditional education operates on slow cycles that span semesters and years, while A.I. technologies evolve in months or weeks.

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Sign up for our free newsletter and start your day with clear-headed reporting on the latest topics in education. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter For much of the 20th century, the United States set the global standard for higher education, driving economic expansion, technological innovation and middle-class stability. A college degree was a re...

The U.S. Now Ranks 20th Globally In Post-high School Attainment

The U.S. now ranks 20th globally in post-high school attainment among 25- to 34-year-olds, according to OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 report, the latest look at educational achievement around the world. That means proportionally fewer Americans in this age group earn associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or other credentials than their international peers. Meanwhile, countries such as South K...

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Recent layoffs at the Department of Education, cuts to state university budgets and even some college closures have only deepened the crisis, leaving fewer resources for student services, academic programs and the educators who... Instead of strengthening the system that once made America an economic powerhouse, the country is retreating, and the consequences are dire. For much of the 20th century...

Now Ranks 20th Globally In Post-high School Attainment Among 25-

now ranks 20th globally in post-high school attainment among 25- to 34-year-olds, according to OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 report, the latest look at educational achievement around the world. That means proportionally fewer Americans in this age group earn associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or other credentials than their international peers. Meanwhile, countries such as South Korea (69....

Instead Of Strengthening The System That Once Made America An

Instead of strengthening the system that once made America an economic powerhouse, the country is retreating, and the consequences are dire. Other nations understand that a highly educated workforce is critical to economic success. For decades, they have expanded public investment, updated education systems to match evolving industries and strengthened workforce training programs. By prioritizing ...