Acquiring better English skills is one of the most powerful steps a worker can take to improve their earnings and economic prospects. In the US workforce overall, more than one in ten workers has limited English skills. Many English learners are also people of color, who face additional barriers in upskilling due to longstanding structural racism and related inequities in the United States.
Policymakers need to identify the best ways to build economic resiliency in a post-pandemic world. Policies that invest in English language skills can help to narrow racial equity gaps, helping to remedy some of the policy-driven disparities faced by many English learners. NSC’s report Amplifying Impact explores how combining investments in digital skills and English language learning can pay off for workers and businesses alike.
