In languages with phonemic spelling, functional illiteracy might be defined simply as reading too slowly for practical use, an inability to effectively use dictionaries and written manuals, and other factors.
[4] In Russia, where more than 99% of the population is technically literate, only one-third of high school graduates can comprehend the content of scientific and literary texts, according to a 2015 study.
[7] In the United States, according to Business magazine, an estimated 15 million functionally illiterate adults held jobs at the beginning of the 21st century.
A Literacy at Work study, published by the Northeast Institute in 2001, found that business losses attributed to basic skill deficiencies run into billions of dollars a year due to low productivity, errors, and accidents attributed to functional illiteracy.
The American Council of Life Insurers reported that 75% of the Fortune 500 companies provide some level of remedial training for their workers.