computer

Author
Abstract

As Bill Bradley recently observed, “A pair of strong hands are not what they used to be. Now
those hands have to be able to use a keyboard.” In 1997, over half of all workers directly used a
computer keyboard on the job. Workers who use a computer at work are paid more than those
who do not, and are more highly sought after by employers. The Commerce Department’s 1999
report, Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide, highlighted that African-American
workers are less likely than others to have access to information technology at home and at work.
The Commerce Department report did not address the issue of training African-American
students and workers to use computer technology. This paper seeks to fill that void by exploring
the magnitude of the racial divide in the use of computer technology among school children, and
considering the consequences of the digital divide. The key findings are summarized below.

Year of Publication
2000
Number
434
Date Published
03/2000
Publication Language
eng
Citation Key
Education and Training for the Black Worker in the 21st Century,
Krueger, A. (2000). The Digital Divide in Educating African-American Students and Workers. Retrieved from http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp011j92g7476 (Original work published March 2000)
Working Papers
Abstract

Both marital status and computer usage on the job have been found to increase earnings by as much as two
additional years of schooling. If correct, these findings suggest that factors other than long-term human
capital investments are key determinants of earnings. Data on identical twins are used in this paper to sweep
out selection effects and examine the effect of marital status and computer usage on wages. Within-twin
estimates indicate that, unlike education, job tenure and union status, neither marital status nor computer
usage have a large or significant effect on wages.

Year of Publication
2000
Number
439
Date Published
06/2000
Publication Language
eng
Citation Key
8399
Krashinsky, H. (2000). Do Marital Status and Computer Usage Really Change the Wage Structure? Evidence from a Sample of Twins. Retrieved from http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp01w9505046q (Original work published June 2000)
Working Papers