Figure 3-2-2-1 Differences in ICT adoption by region

| Group with higher than average ICT adoption (%) | Group with lower than average ICT adoption (%)
Government-designated cities in the three major metropolitan areas (N=468) | 46.4 | 53.6
Government-designated cities outside the three major metropolitan areas (N=200) | 41.0 | 59.0
Municipalities outside government-designated cities (N=1,503) | 34.1 | 65.9

(Source) "Study Report on Regional Job Creation through ICT: Issues and Solutions," MIC (2015)

Figure 3-2-2 Job creation benefits in rural areas due to ICT adoption Increase in employed people attributable to the growth in existing businesses through ICT adoption

Value	Remarks
Number of business offices in rural areas (2012)	3,769,772	·Number of business offices in rural areas (outside government-designated cities) on the 2012 Economic Census
(1) Number of business offices in rural areas in the group with high ICT adoption	261,426	·The number of business offices in rural areas multiplied by the difference (6.9 percent) in the percentages of business offices in the group with higher than average ICT adoption between urban areas (government-designated cities outside the three metropolitan areas) and rural areas
(2) Number of business offices from (1) with growth in existing businesses	68,841	·(1) multiplied by the percentage (26.3 percent) of business offices with growth in existing businesses
[A]: Number of business offices from (2) that have hired more regular full-time employees	22,187	·(2) multiplied by the percentage (32.2 percent) of business offices that have hired more regular full-time employees through the growth of existing businesses
[B]: Average number of regular full-time employees hired per business office at business offices with growth in existing businesses and that have hired more regular full-time employees	3.88	·An aggregation was used, weighted to fit the distribution of business offices by number of employees on the 2012 Economic Census
Number of jobs created in rural areas under this scenario	86,092	·A×B

Increase in employed people attributable to the creation of new businesses through ICT adoption

Value	Remarks
Number of business offices in rural areas (2012)	3,769,772	·Number of business offices in rural areas (outside government-designated cities) on the 2012 Economic Census
(1) Number of business offices in rural areas in the group with high ICT adoption	261,426	·The number of business offices in rural areas multiplied by the difference (6.9 percent) in the percentages of business offices in the group with higher than average ICT adoption between urban areas and rural areas
(2) Number of business offices from (1) that have created new businesses	42,930	·(1) multiplied by the percentage (16.4 percent) of business offices that have created new businesses
[A]: Number of business offices from (2) that have hired more regular full-time employees	23,440	·(2) multiplied by the percentage (54.6 percent) of business offices that have hired more regular full-time employees through the creation of new businesses
[B]: Average number of regular full-time employees hired per business office at business offices that have created new businesses and that have hired more regular full-time employees	4.84	·An aggregation was used, weighted to fit the distribution of business offices by number of employees on the 2012 Economic Census
Number of jobs created in rural areas under this scenario	113,420	·A×B

(Source) "Study Report on Regional Job Creation through ICT: Issues and Solutions," MIC (2015)

rural areas drives ICT use and application by enterprises in rural areas so that in the future the level of ICT adoption by enterprises in rural areas (municipalities outside of government-designated cities) would approach that of enterprises in regional government-designated cities (government-designated cities outside the three metropolitan areas). We then ran a simulation using the results of the survey given to offices of the business monitors. With the level of ICT adoption at offices in rural areas (municipalities outside of government-designated cities) equal to the level in regional government-designated cities (government-designated cities outside the three metropolitan areas), the simulation calculated that the percentage of offices in rural areas (municipalities outside of government-designated cities) exhibiting growth in existing businesses and creating new businesses would climb, leading to an increase of 199,511 new jobs. Of these new jobs, 86,092 are attributable to growth of existing businesses brought on by ICT adoption and 113,420 are attributable to new businesses created by ICT adoption. In either case, these jobs are for regular full-time employees (Figure 3-2-2-2).

This trial calculation is based on the results of a survey given to offices on the labor-demand side. Therefore, it shows that if offices in rural areas adopt more ICT, the offices may be revitalized and stable jobs may be created as a result. It does not indicate that residents in large metropolitan areas will immediately migrate to rural areas. For people considering relocating from large metropolitan areas to rural areas but who are concerned about finding stable employment in rural areas however, the ability of ICT to create high quality employment in rural areas may be enough to push people into relocating from large metropolitan areas to rural areas.