Unequal access to high-speed internet could be the biggest obstacle to getting the American economy back on track

As unemployment claims reach record highs, Americans' unequal access to high-speed internet could become a roadblock to recovery. Even before the age of coronavirus, there's evidence that the availability of high-speed internet directly affects employment. At least six studies spanning two decades show a cause-and-effect relationship: Where broadband is deployed, businesses adopt more efficient practices, introduce new services, and can reach new labor pools and customers. Data from tech companies in the US seems to bolster those conclusions — Microsoft's analysis found that counties across the US with the highest unemployment rate also had the lowest availability of broadband internet. It's difficult to predict when the US will recover from the coronavirus crisis or what that recovery will look like. But for underserved rural communities without high-speed internet, adapting to the increasingly-online market will be one of the biggest challenges.