Wired for work? ICT and job seeking in rural areas

Abstract

Rural areas are, by definition, affected by their relative peripherality from industrial and population centres, and their dispersed patterns of economic and social activity. The geographical remoteness of many rural communities limits the availability of public services, which tend to be concentrated in highly populated areas. The scattered and sparsely populated settlements that are typical of many rural areas also generate specific practical and financial problems for public agencies charged with delivering services. As a result, policy makers are increasingly turning to Internet and other ICT-based approaches (such as telephone helplines) to deliver services. However, given that ICT access and use tends to be concentrated amongst more affluent and skilled people, concerns have been raised that ICT-based services will not be readily available to the most disadvantaged groups in society, potentially deepening their sense of exclusion.