Regarding education, Gates said that over the next several years, six out of every 10 new jobs will be in professional and service-related occupations.

"Given the state of our educational system, it is not surprising that U.S. companies are reporting serious shortages of skilled workers," said Gates. "According to a 2005 U.S. Department of Education study, only 13 percent of American adults are proficient in the knowledge and skills needed to search, comprehend and use information, or to perform computational tasks. This yawning gap between America's economic needs and the skills of its workforce indicates that as a nation, we are not doing nearly enough to equip and continuously improve the capabilities of American workers."