(FORTUNE Magazine) – MYTH: By the year 2000, working white males will be practically extinct. FACT: The labor force is changing, but slowly. In 1990, white males comprised 47% of the work force; in the year 2000, they will be 45%.

MYTH: Some 23 million adult Americans are illiterate. FACT: There is no one measure of illiteracy, but 96% of young adults read well enough to find a particular piece of information in a newspaper article.

MYTH: Ours is a nation of dropouts. FACT: By age 24, some 85% of American adults have completed high school.

MYTH: By the year 2000, you'll need a college degree to get a job. FACT: Most new jobs, even in old occupations, will require more education, but new jobs are not a big part of the overall employment market. According to the National Center for Education and the Economy, 70% of jobs at the turn of the century will not require a baccalaureate.