First Link: "Over 2 million New York City residents can be described as being functionally illiterate– that’s 25% of the total population in the city." This website doesn't even talk about high school graduates, it's talking about New York City's total population. And even if it was, it is still not 80% as you claim. The rest of the webpage then goes on to describe the obvious correlation between illiteracy and poverty/poor income.

Second Link: The article says "According to City University New York officials, nearly 80 percent of the city's high school graduates don't have the basic literacy skills to take regular classes at the community college in the city", but then it goes on to say "However, the illiteracy rate is still ballooning –". So first it says that high school graduates don't have the literary skills to take regular college classes, then it says that the high school graduates are illiterate. Not having enough skill and not having any skill, are two different things.

I guess the author of the article could have simply used the word "illiteracy" as a synonym for "not enough literary skill"; but it would still not support your claim. You also have to consider that the article was written a year ago (Friday, 08 Mar 2013 01:08 PM).

Finally, use common sense. If 80% of NYC high school grads really are illiterate, I'm pretty sure the United States wouldn't be considered a developed/post-industrial country (in regards to the possible percentages of illiterate people out of school across the nation).