Type | Working Paper - NBER Working Paper |
Title | The arrival of fast internet and employment in Africa |
Author(s) | |
Issue | 23582 |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2018 |
URL | https://www.nber.org/papers/w23582 |
Abstract | To show how fast Internet affects employment in Africa, we exploit the gradual arrival of submarine Internet cables on the coast and maps of the terrestrial cable network. Robust difference-in-differences estimates from three datasets covering 12 countries show large positive effects on employment rates—also for less educated worker groups—with little or no job displacement across space. The sample-wide impact is driven by increased employment in higher-skill occupations, but less educated workers’ employment gain less so. Firm level data available for some countries indicate that increased firm entry, productivity, and exporting contribute to higher net job-creation. |