- 3000 adults in Barron County are illiterate–above state average.
- 40 million adults in the U.S. read and write at or below the 5th grade level.
- 21 million Americans cannot read at all.
- 75% of unemployed adults have reading or writing difficulty.
- It is estimated that $5 billion a year in taxes goes to support people receiving public assistance who are unemployable due to illiteracy.
Sources: National Institute for Literacy and Laubach Literacy Action
These statistics do not consider the rapidly increasing number of individuals who have a functional language other than English, and need English as a second language. Literacy Councils nationwide are addressing these issues by providing free tutoring on a one-to-one basis to adults of all ages.