The employment future looks bright for people with strong math skills. But among the nation’s K-12 students, that represents a small and dwindling demographic.
Nearly 40 percent of 8th graders, and almost a quarter of 4th graders, demonstrated below basic proficiency on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, released in January. Meanwhile, employment in math occupations is slated to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, at least through 2033, experts project. Even some jobs that don’t require a college degree, like carpentry and mechanics, require basic algebra skills.
