Mobile Entrepreneurship and Employment

Abstract

Given its strong recent growth, the global mobile industry is now a major source of employment opportunities. Mobile industry jobs can be categorized into direct and indirect ones, with a diverse labor force supplying each category. Direct jobs are created by mobile operators and manufacturers in professions that range from engineers to managers to sales support staff. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that around 1.5 million people are directly employed in the industry worldwide (ITU 2011). The total number of jobs fitting this narrow "direct" description may begin to decline as the industry becomes commoditized. Indirect jobs, however, show strong potential for growth, in professions related to mobile application development, content provision, and call center operations. Indirect jobs can be created by mobile operators and manufacturers, as well as by third-party content and device producers, including entrepreneurs. In some emerging markets, outsourcing of mobile content development also creates significant numbers of indirect jobs. In India, the mobile industry is expected to generate around seven million indirect jobs during 2012 (COAI 2011). This report argues that faster mobile networks and more capable smartphones make mobile communications a platform for innovation across different sectors (such as health, agriculture, and financial services), supporting overall employment numbers in an economy. The greatest potential for employment growth derives from demand for services enabled by mobile phones.For many entrepreneurs in developing countries and rural areas, a mobile device is a tool not only for contacting customers and accessing the internet, but also for making financial transactions, establishing a client database, or coordinating just-in-time supply-chain deliveries. Such critical business functions can enable small firms to thrive in locations where accessing markets or selling new products would otherwise be impossible. It is difficult to estimate the number of

Mobile Phone Ecosystems and the Informal Sector in Developing Countries – Cases from Jamaica

“…With the continued expansion of the international telecoms sector, in particular that of mobile phones, there has been significant growth in the occupational opportunities for providers and end users of this technology (Andjelkovic & Imaizumi, 2012;Quadir, 2012). According to Andjelkovic and Imaizumi (2012); Duncombe (2007) it has become evident that mobile phones have opened new avenues for its users to earn significant sums of money, buttressing their ability to sustain their livelihoods, as well as, shaping chances for them to become entrepreneurs.…”

“…According to Andjelkovic and Imaizumi (2012); Duncombe (2007) it has become evident that mobile phones have opened new avenues for its users to earn significant sums of money, buttressing their ability to sustain their livelihoods, as well as, shaping chances for them to become entrepreneurs. The authors explained further that there are no significant skill restrictions on who can benefit from the occupational opportunities available in this sector, as the entire gamut of employable people -top level management to low skilled individuals -are included (Andjelkovic & Imaizumi, 2012).…”