“The Arrival of Fast Internet and Employment in Africa”, 2019-03-01 ():
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 3 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.
Average incomes rise.