Job Search in US – Smartphones as a central part of the digital world

Smartphone adoption has grown rapidly in the U.S. Today, 68% of U.S. adults own smartphones, up from 35% in 2011. Beyond calls and texts, smartphone owners use their devices to accomplish a number of tasks – including getting directions, applying for jobs and getting health information. For some Americans, particularly younger adults, minorities and lower-income Americans, smartphones are their gateway to the internet, and this “smartphone-only population” is on the rise. Today, 13% of U.S. adults have smartphones but do not have home broadband service, up from 8% in 2013. Smartphone ownership, however, is still less prevalent among lower-income Americans. The persistent debates about “digital divides” took another turn this week when the Federal Communications Commission circulated a final proposal for creating a government subsidy of $9.25 a month to encourage low-income households to gain broadband connections.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at  Technology and the internet today: 8 conversations | Pew Research Center