High-speed Net called crucial in job hunt

WASHINGTON -- A lack of high-speed Internet access at home can significantly hinder the search for a job in a labor market in which online resources are becoming more important, according to the Pew Research Center.

New poll results found that 52 percent of Americans said that people without broadband service are at a major disadvantage in finding out about jobs or gaining new career skills, Pew said.

Lack of high-speed Internet access was a greater hindrance in hunting for a job than in accessing government services, getting health information or keeping up with the news, according to results of a survey of 2,001 adults released last month.

One-third of U.S. adults said they do not subscribe to broadband service at home, Pew said. Cost is the main factor, but some people said they were satisfied with online access from their smartphones.

The poll's results showed that people without broadband can "face substantial challenges engaging in a number of digital job-seeking activities," Aaron Smith, Pew's associate research director, said in a blog post.

About 37 percent of people without broadband said it would not be easy for them to create a professional resume, compared with just 10 percent of those with high-speed Internet access.

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