The skills of Korean adults aged 16–65 have seen a significant decline in PIAAC Cycle 2 (2022–2023) compared to Cycle 1 (2011–2012). According to the 500-point PIAAC scale, literacy scores dropped from 273 in Cycle 1 to 249 in Cycle 2, a decline of 24 points. Similarly, numeracy scores fell from 263 to 253, a 10-point decrease. The downward trend was observed across all age groups, with older generations experiencing the sharpest decline.
As in Cycle 1, Cycle 2 results reaffirm that academic credentials remain a key factor in securing higher wages and employment opportunities in Korea’s labor market, while actual skill levels continue to have little impact. The persistence of this pattern over a decade suggests that Korea’s labor market still lacks an effective system for evaluating and rewarding real-world competencies over formal education. This raises concerns that cognitive skill deterioration in the workplace may become a long-term issue for Korean workers.