Mobile Internet – Creates jobs for about 3 million people in the 13 countries BCG estimates

Revenues are only one part of the picture. The mobile Internet is a major job-growth engine as well. We estimate that it has created employment for about 3 million people in the 13 countries we studied. Many of these jobs are in Asia, where the manufacturing of mobile devices is centered. But the rapid growth in device sales has also generated retail jobs throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as in other regions. Network and infrastructure installation and maintenance take place worldwide. Jobs related to mobile operating systems and enablement platforms, which handle everything from hosting to security to billing and payment, are based primarily in the U.S. and Europe. Most employment is associated with devices and with apps, content, and services. These jobs tend to be created in countries with well-educated and skilled workforces, and their numbers will grow as activity in these and other segments of the ecosystem expands. A significant proportion of these positions are entrepreneurial and situated in small enterprises—young (or maybe not so young) men and women hoping to impress users with the next big thing and hiring others when they do.

With revenues across the mobile Internet ecosystem forecast to more than double by 2017, there will be a related—and a significant, if not a proportional—increase in the number of jobs generated. Some of these will replace jobs currently found in the broader Internet ecosystem—for example, positions related to earlier generations of feature phones, particularly in developing economies. We also expect a substantial number of new jobs to be created as the demand for apps, content, and services rises disproportionately with the increase in the installed user base. The advent of new apps that automate and enhance existing activities, in fields such as health care and education, should help fuel this growth. Many of these jobs will require a high level of technical skill and creativity, and it will be important for governments to support appropriate education, training, and mobility programs to ensure that their workforces are in a position to take advantage of the opportunities that will be generated by the mobile Internet.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at bcg.perspectives – The Growth of the Global Mobile Internet Economy.