Data and Code for: "Wired and Hired: Employment Effects of Subsidized Broadband Internet for Low-Income Americans"

I present evidence on the relationship between broadband pricing and labor market outcomes for low-income individuals. Specifically, I estimate the effects of a Comcast service providing discounted broadband to qualifying low-income families. I use a triple differences strategy exploiting geographic variation in Comcast coverage, individual variation in eligibility, and temporal variation pre- and post-launch. Local program availability increased employment rates and earnings of eligible individuals, driven by greater labor force participation and decreased probability of unemployment. Internet use increased substantially where the program was available.

本研究提供了低收入群体宽带资费与劳动力市场结果之间关联的实证证据。具体而言，本研究评估了康卡斯特（Comcast）面向符合资质低收入家庭提供折扣宽带服务的政策效应。本研究采用三重差分（triple differences）策略，借助康卡斯特覆盖范围的地域差异、个体资质差异以及政策上线前后的时间差异进行识别。该项目在当地的落地提升了符合资质群体的就业率与收入水平，这一效应由劳动力参与率提升与失业概率下降所驱动。在该项目覆盖的区域，互联网使用量出现显著增长。