Elementary and middle school students’ math performance has fallen by as much as 15% from pre-pandemic levels, according to an analysis by the Hechinger Report.
Yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the share of jobs requiring some form of math proficiency is expected to increase much faster than overall job growth over the next 10 years. Are U.S. employers about to run headlong into a shortage of numerate workers? And what might that mean for the shrinking number of Americans who actually know their way around a spreadsheet?
“Basic quantitative skills will be in increasingly high demand in the coming years,” says Ryan McCorvie, a quantitative analyst and computing expert with experience at Goldman Sachs, CalTech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Acquiring or improving those skills now could pay dividends for your career in the near future.”
Here are five basic math-oriented skills McCorvie advises workers to focus on, regardless of their industry or specialty.
1. Basic Arithmetic (By Hand)
Think back — way back — to your elementary school days. You learned how to add and subtract by hand, do long multiplication and division, even manipulate fractions and decimals (more on that in a moment).
Could you do it again, right now, if pressed? Most adults would have trouble clearing away the cobwebs, which is why it could pay off big time to devote a few minutes each day to old-fashioned arithmetic-by-hand.
2. Basic Algebra
Your introduction to algebra came a bit later in your educational journey, perhaps in middle or early high school. Algebra, in case you don’t recall, is the science of solving for an unknown variable, like the ‘x’ in 7x = 28. (The answer is x = 4.)
Though it seems abstract, algebra is very practical. We encounter algebra problems all the time, whether we know it or not — including in the workplace.
3. Converting to and from Percentages
This is another important skill that helps us make sense of seemingly vague data and sound really smart around people who don’t like math.
It’s also not as difficult as it sounds. If you have a value that represents a portion of a larger dataset, and you also know the total value of the dataset, just divide the smaller value by the larger value and then multiply the resulting decimal by 100. And if you already have the decimal, simply multiply by 100.
4. Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis is less a function like multiplication or division than a discipline or science. If you have a full-time job that doesn’t require you to crunch numbers all day, you might not have time to become an expert — but that’s OK. Merely familiarizing yourself with basic statistical functions and terms, and the tools people use to interpret them, will give you a leg up in the workplace.
5. Basic Spreadsheet Functions
Computer spreadsheets are the workhorses of the white-collar workplace, used to uncover and untangle numerical relationships in countless situations.
“In the fast-paced and data-driven landscape of modern business, Microsoft Excel emerges as a silent hero, transforming raw data into actionable insights and driving efficiency in every corner of the corporate world,” says data expert Hady ElHady.
Even if you don’t have a proper “spreadsheet job,” consider putting in a few hours of extra training time each week until you feel reasonably proficient. Fluency with spreadsheets unlocks additional, related skills, like data visualization.
Calculate a Better Career Path
In an age of AI-powered candidate filters and seven-round interview processes, trying to find a job can be downright demoralizing. Even if your skills and experience are in demand, you’re not even guaranteed a hearing, let alone a job offer.
A few simple tricks can strengthen your application and (maybe) get your foot in the door, though. We’ve just learned about one of them: sharpening your quantitative skills. Successful professionals like Ryan McCorvie have used this straightforward job-seeking hack to their benefit, and they’re eager to help people like you do the same. Are you ready to put in the work?
