Can the high-speed Internet help stimulate economic recovery?  More evidence is emerging that the answer is a resounding yes.

The Economic Value of the Advertising-Supported Internet Ecosystem is a new study commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, an organization comprised of hundreds of the leading media and technology companies in the online advertising business.  The study provides a comprehensive review of the Internet economy, including both the social and the economic benefits.

Some of the findings on the social benefits offer a light-hearted look at how the Internet has changed our lives in just a few short years:

• In 19% of today’s marriages, the bride and groom met online.
• 10% of non-food retailing now happens online.
• As much time is spent on the Internet as is spent in front of the television.

Many other findings prove just how important the Internet is to our economy:

• About 3.1 million people owe their livelihoods to the Internet, which creates 1.2 million direct jobs and 1.9 million indirect jobs.  Just as encouraging, many of these jobs pay higher salaries than the average U.S. wage.
• There is Internet employment in every congressional district.
• The on-line economy (advertising, e-commerce, connectivity and beyond) contributes $300 billion annually to U.S. GDP.

Internet-based jobs cover a wide range of opportunities, which the authors divide into 14 sectors.  Take a closer look at the numbers below.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.