National Skills Coalition (NSC) in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta released Closing the Digital Skill Divide, a real-time snapshot of demand for digital skills in the US labor market. The analysis finds that 92% of jobs analyzed require digital skills. Previous NSC research found one-third of workers don’t have the foundational digital skills necessary to enter and thrive in today’s jobs. Together, these findings point to a significant digital skill divide. This report also found that public investments in closing this digital skill divide can generate measurable economic payoff for businesses, workers, and the broader economy. 

Closing the Digital Skill Divide finds strong demand for digital skills across every industry (dispelling misconceptions that demand exists primarily in the tech sector) and in almost every occupation, including entry-level and frontline positions. The report also finds that the digital skill divide disproportionately impacts workers of color, low-income individuals, and rural residents, due to historic underinvestment and structural inequities.  

The findings come at a pivotal moment as states plan to implement the historic $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, part of the bi-partisan infrastructure law. The program provides funding to advance digital equity among populations most impacted by the digital divide. 

The findings suggest that states that target resources toward digital skill building could generate measurable monetary benefits.

View the fact sheets for your state here:

Alaska Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Arkansas Digital Divide Fact Sheet

California Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Colorado Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Florida Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Georgia Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Illinois Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Indiana Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Maine Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Michigan Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Nevada Digital Divide Fact Sheet

New Mexico Digital Divide Fact Sheet

North Carolina Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Ohio Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Tennessee Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Texas Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Utah Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Vermont Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Virginia Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Washington Digital Divide Fact Sheet

Wisconsin Digital Divide Fact Sheet

 

 

View the Closing the Digital Skills Divide webinar: https://nationalskillscoalition.org/resource/webinars/closing-the-digital-skill-divide-the-payoff-for-workers-business-and-the-economy/