56% of U.S. adult workers believe America is unprepared to compete in a global economy according to a new Workplace Insights survey commissioned by Adecco. Further, three-quarters of employed adults (76%) agree that today's U.S. employers do not invest enough in training and development to keep the U.S. workforce competitive with those in other countries.


With the presidential campaign trail to campuses across the country underway and discussions around increased competition for talent from emerging markets such as China and India heightening, education and training is top of mind for many adults. Although much has been said about the need to strengthen education and training from academics, politicians and economists, we have not yet heard from the U.S. workforce on this issue until now.

Other findings from the survey include:

- Nearly two-thirds of employed adults (64%) agree that the U.S. educational system is not providing workers with the necessary skills to be prepared for the jobs of the future

- 9 in 10 employed adults (92%) agree that strengthening the education system should be a top priority for the U.S. in the next decade

- Older adults (ages 55+) are significantly more likely than younger adults (ages 18-34) to agree that America is not prepared to compete in a global economy (59% vs. 48% respectively)

“What this survey reveals is that a majority of workers have a negative perception of how we’re being educated and trained in America,” says Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer for Adecco USA. “However, according to the Bersin & Associates’ 2007 Corporate Learning Fact Book, total training spending grew from $51.1B in 2005 to $55.8B in 2006. This tells me that overall corporations are investing in training their people, but are not communicating effectively to them just how much and how important it is to their organization.”