Additional insights can be gained by looking at the unemployment rates among these four groups. Individuals with below average literacy skills and low-to-medium intensity computer use had a much higher unemployment rate (11.2%) than those with both average or higher literacy skills and high computer use (3.8%). Interestingly, and consistent with earlier findings on the income effect, the unemployment rate among individuals with average or higher literacy but low-to-medium intensity computer use (5.6%) exceeded that of individuals with low literacy but high computer use (4.4%).
Patterns of Internet and computer access confirm the existence of digital divides both across and within nations. Apart from Italy, differences in ICT use and access between countries included in this study were not large. In 2003, home computer access rates were about 80% and home Internet access rates approximately 70% for most countries surveyed.
Within countries, however, sizeable divides exist in access to and use of ICTs. Among other factors, income stands out as an important predictor for access to and use of ICTs. Many other factors were found to exert an influence on adults’ use of and familiarity with computers and the Internet, as well as impact on their attitudes toward computers. Age, gender, level of education and level of literacy proficiency were associated with individuals’ use of ICTs and could be used to predict whether a respondent would be a “high intensity” computer user. Age was found to have a particularly strong influence on computer use, showing a significant decline after age 55. Clear gender differences in Internet use existed in the European countries included in this study but not in North America. Additionally, respondents with less than upper secondary education used computers significantly less frequently than the rest of the population.
An overview of provincial and territorial ICT use in Canada revealed numerous patterns and reaffirmed the existence of divides within the nation. The Western provinces, the territories, and Ontario emerged as leaders in ICT use, although regional patterns of ICT use were complex and varied depending on the specific technology examined.
Results also confirmed an association between literacy skills and ICT use. While controlling for other factors, adults’ perceived usefulness and attitude toward computers, use of the Internet, and use of computers for task-oriented purposes increased as literacy skill levels increased. This was true for all four literacy domains examined. In most countries, for example, respondents with medium to high prose literacy skills had between two to three times the odds of being a high-intensity computer user compared to those with below average literacy skills.
Those without access to ICTs also tended to have lower literacy levels than the rest of the population. In addition, only a minority of non-users of computers expressed an interest in starting to use a computer. This has implications for all nations if those individuals who perhaps stand to benefit most from ICTs (by obtaining health, employment and government information, for example) are not in a position to access and use them.
Finally, combined literacy and computer use profiles were strongly related to the likelihood that respondents would have higher incomes. In most countries, adults with average or higher literacy skills and high-intensity computer use had about three to six times the odds of being in the top personal income quartile compared to respondents with low literacy and low-to-medium intensity computer use.
Work is needed to further examine the economic and social outcomes associated with ICT use and related literacy skills. Part of this work should include the development of ICT skills measures in order to evaluate an individual’s ability to use ICTs.