Technical information:  (202) 691-6378     USDL 05-1457
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Tuesday, August 2, 2005


   (This release was reissued on Wednesday, August 10, to correct the
September 2001 data for workers of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity in table A.
No other data were affected.)



                 COMPUTER AND INTERNET USE AT WORK IN 2003
                                     
   In October 2003, 77 million persons used a computer at work, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  These
workers accounted for 55.5 percent of total employment.  About 2 of every 5
employed individuals connected to the Internet or used e-mail while on the
job.  These proportions were slightly higher than those measured in the
prior survey conducted in September 2001.  (See table A.)
   
   These findings are from a special supplement to the October 2003
Current Population Survey (CPS).  The CPS is a monthly household survey
that is one of the main sources of information on the U.S. labor force.
The Computer Use Survey also collected data on computer and Internet or
e-mail use at home, school, and work as well as use of the Internet for
job search.  The data presented in this release focus on computer and
Internet use at work and on job search methods using the Internet.  For
additional information about the survey, see the Technical Note.  Some
of the highlights from the 2003 survey include:

   --The proportion of workers who used a computer at work was higher for
     women (61.8 percent) than for men (49.9 percent).

   --Employed women had a greater likelihood of using the Internet at work
     than employed men (45.1 and 38.7 percent, respectively).

   --Asians were more likely than whites, blacks, or Hispanics or Latinos
     to use a computer and the Internet at work.

   --The likelihood of computer and Internet use at work is greater for
     workers with more education.

   --In terms of occupation, there were large variations in the proportions
     of workers who used a computer at work.  The computer-use rate was
     relatively high for managers and professionals (about 80 percent)
     and sales and office workers (67 percent).  In contrast, about 26
     percent of workers in natural resources, construction, and main-
     tenance and production, transportation, and material moving occu-
     pations used a computer at work.

   --The most commonly reported task for the 77 million workers who used a
     computer at work was accessing the Internet or using e-mail.

   --Slightly more than 1 in every 10 individuals in the civilian noninsti-
     tutional population age 16 and over reported that they had used the
     Internet between January and October 2003 to search for a job.  (The
     concept of job search used in the survey is different from that used
     in the basic monthly CPS; see the Technical Note for more informa-
     tion.)  Reading on-line ads and researching information on potential
     employers were the most commonly used Internet job search methods used.

                                  - 2 -

     Table A.  Computer and Internet use at work by selected characteristics, September 2001 and October 2003
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                           September 2001 r                                    October 2003                  
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                      Used a computer    Used the Internet              Used a computer    Used the Internet 
                                          at work             at work                       at work             at work      
                            Total                                             Total                                          
                           employed                                          employed                                        
                                               Percent             Percent                       Percent             Percent 
                                      Total       of      Total       of                Total       of      Total       of   
                                               employed            employed                      employed            employed
         AGE AND SEX                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                             
         Total, 16 years                                                                                                     
           and over......  137,050    73,055     53.3     52,463     38.3    138,823    76,986     55.5     57,892     41.7  
     16 to 24 years......   19,901     6,994     35.1      3,916     19.7     19,304     6,991     36.2      4,234     21.9  
       16 to 19 years....    6,499     1,490     22.9        549      8.4      5,788     1,301     22.5        559      9.7  
       20 to 24 years....   13,402     5,504     41.1      3,367     25.1     13,516     5,690     42.1      3,675     27.2  
     25 years and over...  117,149    66,061     56.4     48,547     41.4    119,519    69,995     58.6     53,658     44.9  
       25 to 34 years....   30,847    17,561     56.9     13,109     42.5     30,401    17,641     58.0     13,608     44.8  
       35 to 44 years....   35,669    20,700     58.0     15,239     42.7     34,854    20,797     59.7     16,226     46.6  
       45 to 54 years....   31,205    18,260     58.5     13,518     43.3     32,221    19,607     60.9     15,017     46.6  
       55 to 64 years....   14,916     8,023     53.8      5,739     38.5     17,202     9,930     57.7      7,499     43.6  
       65 years and                                                                                                          
         over............    4,511     1,517     33.6        942     20.9      4,842     2,021     41.7      1,307     27.0  
                                                                                                                             
     Men.................   73,511    35,023     47.6     26,298     35.8     74,353    37,124     49.9     28,788     38.7  
     Women...............   63,539    38,032     59.9     26,165     41.2     64,470    39,862     61.8     29,104     45.1  
                                                                                                                             
     RACE AND HISPANIC OR                                                                                                    
      LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                             
     White...............  114,426    62,483     54.6     45,002     39.3    115,184    65,193     56.6     49,347     42.8  
     Black or African                                                                                                        
       American..........   15,116     6,511     43.1      4,345     28.7     14,754     6,729     45.6      4,553     30.9  
     Asian...............    6,159     3,469     56.3      2,696     43.8      5,809     3,523     60.6      2,882     49.6  
     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                                      
       ethnicity.........  c16,349    c5,211    c31.9     c3,210    c19.6     17,602     5,478     31.1      3,718     21.1  
                                                                                                                             
      FULL- OR PART-TIME                                                                                                     
           STATUS                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                             
     Usually full time on                                                                                                    
       primary job.......  103,887    59,563     57.3     44,035     42.4    103,757    61,538     59.3     47,472     45.8  
     Usually part time on                                                                                                    
       primary job.......   21,412     8,482     39.6      4,891     22.8     22,487     9,708     43.2      6,255     27.8  
     Hours vary on                                                                                                           
       primary job.......   11,751     5,009     42.6      3,537     30.1     12,579     5,740     45.6      4,165     33.1  
                                                                                                                             
         EDUCATIONAL                                                                                                         
         ATTAINMENT                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
         Total, 25 years                                                                                                     
           and over......  117,149    66,061     56.4     48,547     41.4    119,519    69,995     58.6     53,658     44.9  
     Less than a high                                                                                                        
       school diploma....   11,737     1,875     16.0        876      7.5     11,520     1,810     15.7        899      7.8  
     High school                                                                                                             
       graduates, no                                                                                                         
       college (1).......   35,880    14,440     40.2      8,627     24.0     36,065    15,208     42.2      9,521     26.4  
     Some college or                                                                                                         
       associate                                                                                                             
       degree............   32,858    19,754     60.1     13,507     41.1     32,455    19,907     61.3     14,445     44.5  
     Bachelor's degree                                                                                                       
       and higher (2)....   36,675    29,992     81.8     25,537     69.6     39,479    33,071     83.8     28,793     72.9  
        Advanced degree..   12,954    10,893     84.1      9,494     73.3     13,831    11,982     86.6     10,709     77.4  

       1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
       2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
       r = revised.  Estimates for September 2001 have been revised to reflect the use of Census 2000-based population
     controls.  See the Technical Note for additional information.
       c = corrected.
       NOTE:  Data refer to computer or Internet use on the sole or primary job.  Internet use at work refers to either
     connecting to the Internet or using e-mail.  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and
     Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is
     Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.

                                  - 3 -

Occupation and Industry

   Managers and professionals were most likely to use a computer and the
Internet; 79.6 percent reported that they used a computer at work and 67.1
percent used the Internet.  Sales and office occupations also had high rates
of computer and Internet use--over two-thirds reported using a computer at
work and nearly half said they used the Internet.  In contrast, computer- and
Internet-use rates were lower for service workers (27.5 and 15.9 percent,
respectively), for natural resources, construction, and maintenance workers
(26.4 and 16.6 percent, respectively), and for production, transportation,
and material moving workers (26.0 and 13.9 percent, respectively).  (See
table 2.)
   
   As with occupations, there was a great deal of variation by industry
with regard to the use of computers and the Internet.  Among private
nonagricultural industries, persons employed in financial activities had
the highest rates of computer (82.4 percent) and Internet use (68.9 percent).
In contrast, computer- and Internet-use rates were lowest in the leisure and
hospitality (30.4 and 17.6 percent, respectively) and construction (28.1
and 21.0 percent, respectively) industries.  (See table 2.)
     
   Government workers had an above-average likelihood of using a computer
and the Internet on the job.  The proportions of workers in the public
sector that used a computer and the Internet were 69.1 and 56.0 percent,
respectively.  By comparison, the computer- and Internet-use rates for
private-sector workers were 53.5 and 39.3 percent, respectively.  (See
table 2.)  The high computer- and Internet-use rates among government
workers is due, in part, to their occupational concentration.  For example,
more than half of all workers in the public sector hold management and pro-
fessional jobs, an occupational category characterized by very high rates
of computer and Internet use.  In contrast, the proportion of private-
sector wage and salary workers employed as managers and professionals is
much lower (30.9 percent).

Demographics

   The youngest and oldest workers were least likely to use a computer and
the Internet on the job.  Among workers ages 16 to 24 and 65 years and over,
about one-third used a computer at work and only about 1 in every 5 said
that they used the Internet.  In contrast, about 60 percent of workers ages
25 to 64 used a computer on the job and almost half used the Internet.
(See table 1.)
   
   As was the case in the prior survey, women were more likely than men to
use a computer and the Internet.  Computer-use rates for women and men were
61.8 and 49.9 percent, respectively; the Internet-use rate for women was
45.1 percent, compared with 38.7 percent for men.  (See table 1.)  Although
computer- and Internet-use rates for men and women are fairly similar
within occupations, the greater likelihood of women to use a computer at
work is due largely to their concentration in occupations in which computer
use is most prevalent.  For instance, nearly three-fourths of employed
women are in management and professional and sales and office occupations;
the computer-use rate for women in these two occupations combined was very
high (74.8 percent).  In contrast, nearly two-fifths of men hold natural
resources, construction, and maintenance and production, transportation,
and material moving jobs.  For men, the combined computer-use rate in these
two occupational categories was 26.0 percent--30 percentage points lower
than the rate for all workers.
   
   Computer use at work was more common among Asian workers (60.6 percent)
and whites (56.6 percent) than among black (45.6 percent) or Hispanic or
Latino workers (31.1 percent).  In terms of Internet use, 49.6 percent of

                                  - 4 -

Asians used the Internet at work, compared with 42.8 percent of whites,
30.9 percent of blacks, and 21.1 percent of Hispanics or Latinos.  (See
table 1.)
   
   With regard to educational attainment, workers with more years of
schooling were much more likely than those with less education to use
a computer and the Internet at work.  For example, computer- and Inter-
net-use rates for workers with advanced degrees were 86.6 and 77.4 per-
cent, respectively.  At the other end of the educational spectrum, only
15.7 percent of workers with less than a high school diploma used a com-
puter on the job, and 7.8 percent used the Internet.  (See table 1.)

Computer Activity at Work

   As was the case in the 2001 survey, the most common use for a computer
at work was to access the Internet or to use e-mail.  Of the 77 million
workers who used a computer on the job, 75.2 percent reported that they
used the computer to connect to the Internet or to use e-mail.  Other
common tasks included word processing (67.6 percent), working with spread-
sheets or databases (64.2 percent), and calendar or scheduling (56.8 per-
cent).  Less common uses were graphics or design (29.7 percent) and pro-
gramming (16.4 percent).  (See table 3.)
   
   In terms of occupation, workers in management and professional occu-
pations, who were most likely to use a computer at work, also reported
some of the highest proportions for specific uses of a computer.  For
instance, 84.4 percent used a computer to use the Internet or e-mail,
76.9 percent used word processing, and 70.7 percent used spreadsheets
or databases.  (See table 4.)
     
Job Search Activity Using the Internet

   In addition to questions concerning computer and Internet use on the
job, the survey also collected information on Internet job search.  (The
concept of job search using the Internet differs from the concept of job
search in the basic monthly CPS; see the Technical Note for more infor-
mation.)  Respondents were asked if they had used the Internet (at any
location) to search for a job "that year"--from January to October 2003.
Over this period, about 25.5 million individuals, or 11.5 percent of the
civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over, said that they had
used the Internet to search for a job.  Internet job search rates were
highest for individuals in the 20-to-24 (21.2 percent), 25-to-34 (19.3
percent), and 35-to-44 year-old (14.3 percent) age groups.  (See table 5.)
   
   Men and women were about equally likely to have used the Internet to
search for a job.  Also, individuals with more years of schooling were much
more likely than those with the lowest level of education to have used the
Internet to search for a job.  The Internet job search rate for college
graduates was 17.6 percent, in contrast to only 2.2 percent for those with
less than a high school diploma.  (See table 5.)

                                  - 5 -

   Data on Internet job search activity by occupation and industry are
shown in table 6.  The estimates given are limited to the experienced
labor force, that is, the sum of the employed and the unemployed whose
last job was in one of the occupations or industries shown.  Of the 146.5
million persons in this group in October 2003, 21.9 million, or 14.9 per-
cent of the total, reported that they used the Internet to look for a job
at some point between January and October 2003.  Individuals in management
and professional occupations had the highest rate of Internet job search--
19.3 percent.  Among the other major occupational categories, Internet job
search rates ranged from a low of 8.6 percent for natural resources, con-
struction, and maintenance occupations to a high of 17.2 percent for sales
and office occupations.

   The most common job search methods reported by Internet jobseekers were
reading on-line ads or job listings (92.6 percent) and researching informa-
tion on potential employers (70.2 percent).  Less common methods were sub-
mitting a resume or application (57.0 percent) and posting a resume on a
job listing site or with a service (41.0 percent).  This pattern of Internet
job searching was similar, regardless of demographic characteristic, occu-
pation, or industry.  (See tables 5 and 6.)
   
   
   
   
   

                                  - 6 -

Technical Note


   These data and other information on computer and Internet use were
obtained from a supplement to the October 2003 Current Population Survey
(CPS).  The CPS is a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), principally to gather information on employment and unemployment.
Respondents to the October 2003 supplement answered questions about com-
puter and Internet use at home, school, and work in addition to other in-
formation.  In the survey, respondents were asked if they "connected to
the Internet or used e-mail or instant messaging."  In this release, these
two tasks are collectively referred to as "Internet use."  In addition, the
data in this release cover the incidence of computer and Internet use at
work and job search activity using the Internet.  Since 1984, surveys of
computer and, later, Internet use have been conducted periodically by the
Census Bureau.
   
   Data presented in this release incorporate changes associated with the
introduction of the 2002 Census Bureau industry and occupational classi-
fication systems into the CPS and changes to the race and ethnicity cate-
gories.  In addition, the data for 2003 reflect revised CPS population
controls introduced in January 2003.  For a discussion of the impact that
these changes had on CPS data, see "Revisions to the Current Population
Survey Effective in January 2003" in the February 2003 issue of Employment
and Earnings and available at http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf on the BLS
Web site.  The estimates from the September 2001 survey have been recalcu-
lated using the new Census 2000-based population controls.  (See table A.)
The revised population controls raised the overall levels, but had little or
no impact on the rates.
   
   Data on Internet job search are not directly comparable between the
September 2001 and October 2003 surveys because the reference periods for
job search differ.  In the September 2001 survey, respondents were asked
if they had used the Internet to search for a job "that year"--from January
to September 2001.  In the October 2003 survey, the reference period for
job search was from January to October 2003.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone:  1-800-877-8339.

Reliability of the estimates

   Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling
error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there
is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error, varies de-
pending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured
by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent chance,
or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by
no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value because
of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent
level of confidence.
   
   The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of
the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the
sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct infor-
mation, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
     
   For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and for
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings.

                                  - 7 -

Survey questions and concepts

   Data discussed in this release on computer and Internet use at work and
job search using the Internet were obtained from the following questions:

Do you use a computer at your main job?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
At your main job, what do you do on the computer?

Do you do word processing or desktop publishing?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No

Do you connect to the Internet or use e-mail or instant messaging?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No

   (Respondents who answer "yes" to this question are considered to be
Internet users at work.)

Do you use a calendar or do scheduling on the computer?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No

Do you use spreadsheets or databases?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
Do you do graphics and design?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
Do you do programming?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
   The following questions on job search using the Internet were asked of all
individuals in the survey who used the Internet.

This year, have you used the Internet to search for a job?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
("This year" refers to January to October 2003.)

How did you use the Internet to search for a job?

Did you read on-line job ads or search on-line job listings?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No

Did you research information about potential employers?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
Did you submit a resume or application to an employer on-line?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No
  
Did you post a resume on a job listing site or with a service on-line?
  1.   Yes
  2.   No

                                  - 8 -

Internet job search
   
   The above questions on job search were asked of all Internet users in
October 2003.  The Internet job search questions in the supplement are
different from the job search questions that are asked in the basic labor
force section of the CPS and that are used in the classification of
unemployment.  The supplement questions on Internet job search cannot be
used to determine the official classification of unemployment for several
reasons.  In the basic CPS, job search questions are not asked of persons
with jobs, while in the October 2003 supplement, Internet job search
questions were asked of all Internet users, including employed persons.
Also, in the basic CPS, job search among the unemployed must have occurred
within the 4 weeks prior to the survey collection; by contrast, the Inter-
net job search activity recorded in the supplement could have occurred at
any time from January to October 2003.  Moreover, there is no information
gathered in the supplement about respondents' labor force status during
this longer reference period.  Finally, in the basic CPS, job search meth-
ods are divided into active and passive; only active methods--those that
can lead to a job offer--classify a person as unemployed.  The Internet
job search methods in the supplement are not restricted to active methods.
For example, reading job ads or listings online and researching information
on potential employers are not considered to be active job search methods
in the basic CPS.  However, tables 5 and 6 showing Internet job search
activity display both passive as well as active job search methods.  Job
search activity as measured in the basic CPS may or may not have involved
the Internet.





     Table 1.  Employed persons who used a computer or the Internet at work by selected
     characteristics, October 2003
     
     (Numbers in thousands)
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
                                                          Used a computer    Used the Internet 
                                                              at work             at work      
                                                Total                                          
                  Characteristic               employed                                        
                                                                   Percent             Percent 
                                                          Total       of      Total       of   
                                                                   employed            employed
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
                   AGE AND SEX                                                                 
                                                                                               
         Total, 16 years and over............  138,823    76,986     55.5     57,892     41.7  
     16 to 24 years..........................   19,304     6,991     36.2      4,234     21.9  
       16 to 19 years........................    5,788     1,301     22.5        559      9.7  
       20 to 24 years........................   13,516     5,690     42.1      3,675     27.2  
     25 years and over.......................  119,519    69,995     58.6     53,658     44.9  
       25 to 34 years........................   30,401    17,641     58.0     13,608     44.8  
       35 to 44 years........................   34,854    20,797     59.7     16,226     46.6  
       45 to 54 years........................   32,221    19,607     60.9     15,017     46.6  
       55 to 64 years........................   17,202     9,930     57.7      7,499     43.6  
       65 years and over.....................    4,842     2,021     41.7      1,307     27.0  
                                                                                               
     Men.....................................   74,353    37,124     49.9     28,788     38.7  
     Women...................................   64,470    39,862     61.8     29,104     45.1  
                                                                                               
      RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                    
                                                                                               
     White...................................  115,184    65,193     56.6     49,347     42.8  
     Black or African American...............   14,754     6,729     45.6      4,553     30.9  
     Asian...................................    5,809     3,523     60.6      2,882     49.6  
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............   17,602     5,478     31.1      3,718     21.1  
                                                                                               
            FULL- OR PART-TIME STATUS                                                          
                                                                                               
     Usually full time on primary job........  103,757    61,538     59.3     47,472     45.8  
     Usually part time on primary job........   22,487     9,708     43.2      6,255     27.8  
     Hours vary on primary job...............   12,579     5,740     45.6      4,165     33.1  
                                                                                               
              EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                           
                                                                                               
         Total, 25 years and over............  119,519    69,995     58.6     53,658     44.9  
     Less than a high school diploma.........   11,520     1,810     15.7        899      7.8  
     High school graduates, no college (1)...   36,065    15,208     42.2      9,521     26.4  
     Some college or associate degree........   32,455    19,907     61.3     14,445     44.5  
     Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........   39,479    33,071     83.8     28,793     72.9  
       Advanced degree.......................   13,831    11,982     86.6     10,709     77.4  

       1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
       2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

       NOTE:  Data refer to computer or Internet use on the sole or primary job.  Internet use
     at work refers to either connecting to the Internet or using e-mail.  Estimates for the
     above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals
     because data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is
     Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well
     as by race.





     Table 2.  Employed persons who used a computer or the Internet at work by occupation and industry, 
     October 2003
     
     (Numbers in thousands)
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                                                              Used a computer    Used the Internet 
                                                                                  at work             at work      
                                                                    Total                                          
                       Occupation and industry                     employed                                        
                                                                                       Percent             Percent 
                                                                              Total       of      Total       of   
                                                                                       employed            employed
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                              OCCUPATION                                                                           
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 16 years and over................................  138,823    76,986     55.5     57,892     41.7  
      Management, professional, and related occupations..........   48,252    38,398     79.6     32,391     67.1  
        Management, business, and financial operations                                                             
          occupations............................................   19,600    15,842     80.8     13,938     71.1  
        Professional and related occupations.....................   28,652    22,556     78.7     18,452     64.4  
      Service occupations........................................   21,887     6,025     27.5      3,490     15.9  
      Sales and office occupations...............................   35,492    23,874     67.3     16,990     47.9  
        Sales and related occupations............................   16,051     9,577     59.7      6,949     43.3  
        Office and administrative support occupations............   19,441    14,297     73.5     10,041     51.6  
      Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                             
        occupations..............................................   15,003     3,965     26.4      2,497     16.6  
        Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...............    1,270       140     11.0         79      6.3  
        Construction and extraction occupations..................    8,392     1,589     18.9      1,046     12.5  
        Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........    5,341     2,237     41.9      1,371     25.7  
      Production, transportation, and material moving                                                              
        occupations..............................................   18,189     4,723     26.0      2,525     13.9  
        Production occupations...................................    9,736     2,878     29.6      1,577     16.2  
        Transportation and material moving occupations...........    8,454     1,845     21.8        948     11.2  
                                                                                                                   
                               INDUSTRY                                                                            
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 16 years and over................................  138,823    76,986     55.5     57,892     41.7  
      Private wage and salary workers............................  108,135    57,855     53.5     42,505     39.3  
        Agriculture and related industries.......................    1,475       299     20.2        187     12.7  
        Nonagricultural industries...............................  106,660    57,557     54.0     42,317     39.7  
          Mining.................................................      519       221     42.5        165     31.8  
          Construction...........................................    8,198     2,304     28.1      1,719     21.0  
          Manufacturing..........................................   16,420     8,521     51.9      6,416     39.1  
            Durable goods........................................   10,179     5,540     54.4      4,192     41.2  
            Nondurable goods.....................................    6,241     2,981     47.8      2,224     35.6  
          Wholesale and retail trade.............................   19,571     9,998     51.1      6,406     32.7  
          Transportation and utilities...........................    5,167     2,462     47.6      1,741     33.7  
          Information............................................    3,217     2,493     77.5      2,170     67.5  
          Financial activities...................................    8,888     7,328     82.4      6,127     68.9  
          Professional and business services.....................   11,485     7,850     68.4      6,554     57.1  
          Education and health services..........................   17,063    10,620     62.2      7,297     42.8  
          Leisure and hospitality................................   10,288     3,126     30.4      1,815     17.6  
          Other services.........................................    5,844     2,635     45.1      1,907     32.6  
     Government workers..........................................   19,937    13,773     69.1     11,158     56.0  
       Federal...................................................    3,258     2,198     67.5      1,757     53.9  
       State.....................................................    5,759     4,234     73.5      3,664     63.6  
       Local.....................................................   10,920     7,341     67.2      5,737     52.5  
     Self-employed and unpaid family workers.....................   10,751     5,357     49.8      4,229     39.3  

       NOTE:  Data refer to computer or Internet use on the sole or primary job.  Internet use at work refers to
     either connecting to the Internet or using e-mail.





     Table 3.  Type of computer activity at work by selected characteristics, October 2003
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                               Employed               Percent who used a computer for:             
                                               persons                                                             
                                               who used                                                            
                                                  a        Word                                                    
                  Characteristic               computer  process-            Calendar  Spread-                     
                                               at work    ing or   Internet     or    sheets or   Graphics Program-
                                              (in thou-  desktop  or e-mail   sched-  databases  or design   ming  
                                                sands)   publish-             uling                                 
                                                           ing                                                     
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                   AGE AND SEX                                                                                     
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 16 years and over............   76,986     67.6      75.2      56.8      64.2      29.7      16.4  
     16 to 24 years..........................    6,991     57.2      60.6      47.8      54.8      21.6      12.4  
       16 to 19 years........................    1,301     44.8      43.0      41.3      43.9      18.3      12.5  
       20 to 24 years........................    5,690     60.1      64.6      49.3      57.3      22.3      12.4  
     25 years and over.......................   69,995     68.7      76.7      57.7      65.1      30.5      16.8  
       25 to 34 years........................   17,641     68.9      77.1      59.9      67.0      31.0      18.4  
       35 to 44 years........................   20,797     69.9      78.0      60.8      68.4      32.3      18.4  
       45 to 54 years........................   19,607     69.2      76.6      57.2      64.5      30.5      16.1  
       55 to 64 years........................    9,930     66.2      75.5      52.3      59.5      28.0      13.8  
       65 years and over.....................    2,021     60.3      64.7      39.2      48.9      19.8       8.2  
                                                                                                                   
     Men.....................................   37,124     65.5      77.5      58.5      67.1      33.8      21.4  
     Women...................................   39,862     69.6      73.0      55.3      61.5      25.9      11.8  
                                                                                                                   
      RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                        
                                                                                                                   
     White...................................   65,193     68.0      75.7      56.6      64.8      30.1      15.9  
     Black or African American...............    6,729     61.6      67.7      56.5      55.2      24.1      16.6  
     Asian...................................    3,523     73.7      81.8      62.1      69.5      32.0      25.3  
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............    5,478     62.8      67.9      56.1      58.7      24.8      15.6  
                                                                                                                   
            FULL- OR PART-TIME STATUS                                                                              
                                                                                                                   
     Usually full time on primary job........   61,538     68.5      77.1      59.1      66.3      30.3      17.3  
     Usually part time on primary job........    9,708     63.9      64.4      44.2      52.7      24.5      11.1  
     Hours vary on primary job...............    5,740     65.0      72.6      54.2      61.5      32.1      16.3  
                                                                                                                   
              EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                               
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 25 years and over............   69,995     68.7      76.7      57.7      65.1      30.5      16.8  
     Less than a high school diploma.........    1,810     43.7      49.7      40.4      45.0      15.8      11.4  
     High school graduates, no college (1)...   15,208     53.1      62.6      47.6      53.8      19.1      12.0  
     Some college or associate degree........   19,907     63.5      72.6      55.0      62.3      26.0      15.2  
     Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........   33,071     80.3      87.1      65.0      73.1      39.3      20.3  
        Advanced degree......................   11,982     84.5      89.4      65.3      72.3      41.5      20.0  

       1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
       2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

       NOTE:  Data refer to computer use on the sole or primary job.  The percentage of persons who used computers
     for various activities may exceed 100 percent as persons may report multiple activities.  Estimates for the
     above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not
     presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and,
     therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.




    
     Table 4.  Type of computer activity at work by occupation and industry, October 2003
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                               Employed               Percent who used a computer for:             
                                               persons                                                             
                                               who used                                                            
                                                  a        Word                                                    
             Occupation and industry           computer  process-            Calendar  Spread-                     
                                               at work    ing or   Internet     or    sheets or  Graphics  Program-
                                              (in thou-  desktop  or e-mail   sched-  databases  or design   ming  
                                                sands)   publish-             uling                                 
                                                           ing                                                     
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                    OCCUPATION                                                                                     
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 16 years and over............   76,986     67.6      75.2      56.8      64.2      29.7      16.4  
      Management, professional, and related                                                                        
        occupations..........................   38,398     76.9      84.4      63.0      70.7      37.6      20.6  
        Management, business, and financial                                                                        
          operations occupations.............   15,842     79.9      88.0      69.1      79.8      35.8      18.4  
        Professional and related                                                                                   
          occupations........................   22,556     74.8      81.8      58.7      64.4      38.9      22.1  
      Service occupations....................    6,025     55.0      57.9      48.5      48.5      19.9      11.9  
      Sales and office occupations...........   23,874     63.8      71.2      53.9      62.3      22.1      11.6  
        Sales and related occupations........    9,577     60.6      72.6      53.3      61.0      26.2      11.6  
        Office and administrative support                                                                          
          occupations........................   14,297     66.0      70.2      54.3      63.1      19.4      11.6  
      Natural resources, construction, and                                                                         
        maintenance occupations..............    3,965     51.4      63.0      44.0      53.3      23.0      15.7  
        Farming, fishing, and forestry                                                                             
          occupations........................      140     54.6      56.9      39.7      54.8      19.5       6.1  
        Construction and extraction                                                                                
          occupations........................    1,589     60.9      65.8      43.9      56.6      25.9      12.8  
        Installation, maintenance, and repair                                                                      
          occupations........................    2,237     44.4      61.3      44.3      50.8      21.1      18.3  
      Production, transportation, and                                                                              
        material moving occupations..........    4,723     41.3      53.5      43.1      49.9      21.4      13.4  
        Production occupations...............    2,878     42.0      54.8      43.0      52.4      25.9      14.9  
        Transportation and material moving                                                                         
          occupations........................    1,845     40.3      51.4      43.3      46.0      14.4      11.1  
                                                                                                                   
                     INDUSTRY                                                                                      
                                                                                                                   
         Total, 16 years and over............   76,986     67.6      75.2      56.8      64.2      29.7      16.4  
      Private wage and salary workers........   57,855     65.0      73.5      57.5      64.4      27.8      16.8  
        Agriculture and related industries...      299     64.4      62.7      38.5      57.6      14.2       9.2  
        Nonagricultural industries...........   57,557     65.0      73.5      57.6      64.4      27.9      16.8  
          Mining.............................      221     66.4      75.0      55.1      76.9      35.7      12.7  
          Construction.......................    2,304     70.8      74.6      52.6      67.0      30.6      15.2  
          Manufacturing......................    8,521     63.2      75.3      60.2      70.5      35.2      22.0  
            Durable goods....................    5,540     64.1      75.7      61.4      71.5      36.5      24.4  
            Nondurable goods.................    2,981     61.5      74.6      57.7      68.6      32.6      17.5  
          Wholesale and retail trade.........    9,998     52.8      64.1      49.6      58.8      20.4      12.5  
          Transportation and utilities.......    2,462     54.4      70.7      56.8      60.1      24.4      15.1  
          Information........................    2,493     73.2      87.0      64.2      70.6      38.1      23.9  
          Financial activities...............    7,328     71.0      83.6      61.2      72.0      24.3      15.8  
          Professional and business                                                                                
            services.........................    7,850     75.8      83.5      65.6      74.1      36.2      24.1  
          Education and health services......   10,620     66.1      68.7      56.1      54.8      23.4      13.1  
          Leisure and hospitality............    3,126     56.3      58.0      53.4      54.2      21.7      10.9  
          Other services.....................    2,635     71.0      72.4      56.8      61.9      34.1      16.1  
     Government workers......................   13,773     76.2      81.0      56.2      64.0      33.8      15.1  
       Federal...............................    2,198     70.8      79.9      57.0      68.5      31.6      17.0  
       State.................................    4,234     79.4      86.5      60.2      68.3      35.6      17.5  
       Local.................................    7,341     75.9      78.2      53.7      60.1      33.4      13.1  
     Self-employed and unpaid family                                                                               
        workers..............................    5,357     74.3      79.0      50.9      62.8      39.4      16.1  

       NOTE:  Data refer to computer use on the sole or primary job.  The percentage of persons who use computers
     for various activities may exceed 100 percent as persons may report multiple activities.





 Table 5.  Job search activity(1) using the Internet by selected characteristics, October 2003
 
 (Numbers in thousands)
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
                                                Total civilian       Job search activity of persons who used
                                               noninstitutional         the Internet to search for a job    
                                                  population                        (percent)               
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
              Characteristic                                           Read                         Posted a
                                                  Total who          on-line  Researched  Submitted resume on
                                                   used the Percent   ads or   informa-   a resume   a job  
                                           Total   Internet    of    searched  tion on       or     listing 
                                                  to search  total   on-line   potential  applica-  site or 
                                                  for a job            job     employers    tion     with a 
                                                                     listings                       service 
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
               AGE AND SEX                                                                                  
                                                                                                            
     Total, 16 years and over............ 222,039   25,459    11.5     92.6       70.2      57.0      41.0  
 16 to 24 years..........................  36,017    5,676    15.8     92.0       63.4      55.1      39.2  
   16 to 19 years........................  16,145    1,470     9.1     88.9       51.1      46.3      27.9  
   20 to 24 years........................  19,872    4,206    21.2     93.1       67.7      58.2      43.1  
 25 years and over....................... 186,022   19,784    10.6     92.8       72.2      57.5      41.6  
   25 to 34 years........................  39,094    7,538    19.3     93.7       74.9      60.0      42.6  
   35 to 44 years........................  43,670    6,228    14.3     92.8       71.3      57.3      41.4  
   45 to 54 years........................  40,760    4,163    10.2     91.9       70.5      55.6      41.7  
   55 to 64 years........................  28,112    1,595     5.7     91.1       68.0      53.1      38.1  
   65 years and over.....................  34,385      260      .8     91.4       68.4      47.4      35.3  
                                                                                                            
 Men..................................... 106,879   12,460    11.7     92.4       73.5      59.8      42.8  
 Women................................... 115,160   12,999    11.3     92.9       67.1      54.3      39.4  
                                                                                                            
  RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                     
                                                                                                            
 White................................... 181,871   20,310    11.2     92.3       70.1      56.1      39.5  
 Black or African American...............  25,825    3,120    12.1     93.7       70.8      62.3      49.2  
 Asian...................................   9,328    1,297    13.9     93.5       73.5      60.0      45.2  
 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............  27,913    2,304     8.3     92.1       68.5      55.9      42.2  
                                                                                                            
          EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                            
                                                                                                            
     Total, 25 years and over............ 186,022   19,784    10.6     92.8       72.2      57.5      41.6  
 Less than a high school diploma.........  27,757      619     2.2     92.9       60.0      52.9      35.0  
 High school graduates, no college (2)...  59,569    3,846     6.5     93.3       63.7      51.7      39.4  
 Some college or associate degree........  46,741    6,200    13.3     93.2       69.1      55.5      40.6  
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3)........  51,954    9,119    17.6     92.3       78.8      61.6      43.6  
   Advanced degree.......................  17,846    2,868    16.1     90.8       80.9      60.6      41.8  

   1 Refers to use of the Internet to search for a job "this year," that is, from January to October 2003.
   2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   3 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

   NOTE:  The percentage of persons performing each activity may exceed 100 percent as persons may perform
 more than one activity.  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian)
 do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is
 Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.





 Table 6.  Job search activity(1) using the Internet by occupation and industry, October 2003
 
 (Numbers in thousands)
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
                                                                     Job search activity of persons who used
                                           Experienced labor force      the Internet to search for a job    
                                                                                    (percent)               
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
         Occupation and industry                                       Read                         Posted a
                                                  Total who          on-line  Researched Submitted resume on
                                                   used the Percent   ads or   informa-  a resume    a job  
                                           Total   Internet    of    searched  tion on      or      listing 
                                                  to search  total   on-line   potential applica-   site or 
                                                  for a job            job     employers   tion      with a 
                                                                     listings                       service 
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                            
                OCCUPATION                                                                                  
                                                                                                            
     Total, 16 years and over............ 146,532   21,877    14.9     92.9       71.6      58.2      42.2  
  Management, professional, and related                                                                     
    occupations..........................  49,744    9,620    19.3     92.7       76.3      59.8      43.7  
    Management, business, and financial                                                                     
      operations occupations.............  20,225    3,648    18.0     93.8       80.8      64.0      47.1  
    Professional and related                                                                                
      occupations........................  29,519    5,972    20.2     92.1       73.5      57.3      41.6  
  Service occupations....................  23,616    2,591    11.0     91.3       65.1      52.9      35.6  
  Sales and office occupations...........  37,536    6,456    17.2     93.2       69.9      59.0      43.4  
    Sales and related occupations........  17,080    2,762    16.2     92.1       72.2      59.3      43.6  
    Office and administrative support                                                                       
      occupations........................  20,456    3,694    18.1     94.0       68.2      58.8      43.2  
  Natural resources, construction, and                                                                      
    maintenance occupations..............  16,084    1,386     8.6     93.6       65.4      57.3      40.3  
    Farming, fishing, and forestry                                                                          
      occupations........................   1,387       61     4.4     99.0       76.1      71.0      35.4  
    Construction and extraction                                                                             
      occupations........................   9,046      715     7.9     93.0       64.0      55.6      37.0  
    Installation, maintenance, and repair                                                                   
      occupations........................   5,652      610    10.8     93.9       66.0      57.8      44.6  
  Production, transportation, and                                                                           
    material moving occupations..........  19,522    1,803     9.2     94.8       66.1      55.2      40.9  
    Production occupations...............  10,429      878     8.4     95.1       65.8      54.9      43.1  
    Transportation and material moving                                                                      
      occupations........................   9,094      925    10.2     94.4       66.3      55.5      38.7  
                                                                                                            
                 INDUSTRY                                                                                   
                                                                                                            
     Total, 16 years and over............ 146,532   21,877    14.9     92.9       71.6      58.2      42.2  
  Private wage and salary workers........ 114,995   17,710    15.4     93.3       72.0      59.5      43.5  
    Agriculture and related industries...   1,613       85     5.3     94.7       67.1      55.3      36.4  
    Nonagricultural industries........... 113,382   17,625    15.5     93.3       72.0      59.5      43.5  
      Mining.............................     551       61    11.0     90.2       62.8      53.7      36.1  
      Construction.......................   8,852      813     9.2     93.0       66.4      55.4      39.5  
      Manufacturing......................  17,478    2,367    13.5     94.8       72.3      59.7      46.3  
        Durable goods....................  10,875    1,603    14.7     95.1       71.4      59.0      47.3  
        Nondurable goods.................   6,604      764    11.6     94.1       74.2      61.2      44.0  
      Wholesale and retail trade.........  20,778    3,087    14.9     93.5       69.0      58.9      42.3  
      Transportation and utilities.......   5,429      702    12.9     93.9       76.7      61.1      39.1  
      Information........................   3,400      788    23.2     94.7       81.9      63.3      45.0  
      Financial activities...............   9,198    1,774    19.3     94.1       75.9      64.2      48.0  
      Professional and business                                                                             
        services.........................  12,517    2,803    22.4     94.6       76.5      66.7      51.2  
      Education and health services......  17,713    2,945    16.6     91.6       69.6      54.9      39.2  
      Leisure and hospitality............  11,236    1,572    14.0     90.4       66.9      51.7      35.8  
      Other services.....................   6,229      711    11.4     91.7       68.9      57.2      41.2  
 Government workers......................  20,445    3,114    15.2     92.0       69.1      51.3      34.7  
   Federal...............................   3,402      661    19.4     90.7       70.8      55.4      40.4  
   State.................................   5,869    1,009    17.2     92.4       65.2      43.8      29.3  
   Local.................................  11,174    1,445    12.9     92.3       70.9      54.6      35.8  
 Self-employed and unpaid family                                                                            
    workers..............................  11,092    1,053     9.5     89.5       72.4      57.5      42.1  

   1 Refers to use of the Internet to search for a job "this year," that is, from January to October 2003.
   NOTE:  Data refer to computer or Internet use on the sole or primary job.