Tesla workers cheer on the first Tesla Model S cars sold during a rally at the Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif. in 2012. The high-tech electric cars sell for more than $60,000 each. American workers sometimes lag behind their foreign counterparts in certain basic skills such as math and problem-solving.
Americans have been hearing for years that their kids are lagging the rest of the developed world in skills. Now it's the adults' turn for a reality check.
A first-ever international comparison of the labor force in 23 industrialized nations shows that Americans ages 16 to 65 fall below international averages in basic problem-solving, reading and math skills, with gaps between the more- and less-educated in the U.S. larger than those of many other countries.
The findings, out Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Education, could add new urgency to U.S. schools' efforts to help students ...