Mobile Phone and Employment
Mainly three functions of the mobile phone are utilized in developing countries: (i) voice, (ii) SMS, and (iii) mobile application. Through combining these functions, mobile phones have been used to collect data, provide information and services, a...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/12/18042330/mobile-phone-employment http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17978 |
| Summary: | Mainly three functions of the mobile
phone are utilized in developing countries: (i) voice, (ii)
SMS, and (iii) mobile application. Through combining these
functions, mobile phones have been used to collect data,
provide information and services, and act as an intermediary
platform to solve issues in different sectors. In regards
with an employment issue, due to a coordination and
information failure between the demand and supply side of
the labor market, even those who are qualified and received
training and education have not been able to get a job.
While the demand for employment exists both in the formal
and informal sectors, access to this information is limited
to those who have a strong social network and references or
have access to a job portal on the Internet. As a potential
solution for equalizing information asymmetry, the mobile
phone can act as an intermediary to connect job providers
with job seekers. This paper explores six business models
(Pakistan Urban Link and Support (PULS), Konbit, Babajob,
Assured Labor, LabourNet, and Souktel) from the Middle East,
Latin America and South Asia solving existing coordination
and information failure in the labor market. Phone
interviews were conducted with each organization to collect
primary data in October and November 2011. |
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