Replication data for: The Arrival of Fast Internet and Employment in Africa

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.

为探究高速互联网对非洲就业的影响效应，本研究依托沿海海底互联网光缆（submarine Internet cables）的逐步铺设进程，结合陆地光缆网络地图开展实证分析。基于覆盖12个国家的3份数据集得到的稳健双重差分估计结果显示，高速互联网对就业率存在显著正向影响，即便针对受教育程度较低的劳动者群体亦是如此，且未出现显著的跨空间岗位替代现象。样本整体的就业增长主要由高技能职业岗位的扩张所驱动，但低学历劳动者的就业增益相对有限。部分国家的企业层面数据表明，新企业进入增多、生产率提升与出口扩张共同推动了净就业岗位的增加，居民平均收入水平亦随之上升。