Most chief executive officers at U.S. corporations report significant problems in finding workers with the skills they need, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
Among rich countries, the United States is a relative laggard when it comes to educating its youth, especially in skills like math, which is seen as vital in an increasingly high-tech global economy.
Growth in U.S. college enrollment has also slowed since the 1980s, a factor many economists believe has led to rising income inequality because the demand for high-skill workers could be outstripping their supply.
Two business groups, Business Roundtable and Change the Equation, surveyed 126 companies and found 46 percent saw a skills shortage as a problem and 6 percent as very problematic. The rest saw a shortage only somewhat as a problem, or not one at all.
The survey found about two-fifths of the companies' job openings required advanced knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math.
Join the Conversation