The report, Building Career Ladders for the Working Poor Through Literacy Training, uses the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) data to compare the working poor with other workers to determine how they differ. The report found that the greatest distinction between the working poor and other workers is their literacy levels. The NAAL data show that the working poor, on average, fall below the general population in their literacy proficiency. There are sufficient data to suggest that literacy changes, even modest ones, can be critical links between minimally valued jobs held by the working poor and jobs in high-growth occupations.

Other reports developed using the 2003 NAAL data include: