However, individuals in this age group were almost three times aslikely to be Internet users if they were in the labor force than if theywere not. Online shopping and bill paying are seeing the fastest growth. Low income users were the most likely to report using the Internet to lookfor jobs. The August 2000 data show that schools, libraries, and other public accesspoints continue to serve those groups that do not have access at home. For example, certain groups are far more likely to use public librariesto access the Internet, such as the unemployed, Blacks, and Asian Americansand Pacific Islanders.
Internet access is no longer a luxury item, but a resource used by many.
Overall, the findings in this report show that there has been tremendousprogress in just 20 months, but much work remains to be done. Computerownership and Internet access rates are rapidly rising nationwide and foralmost all groups. Until everyone has access to newtechnology tools, we must continue to take steps to expand access to theseinformation resources.