30% of people in these professions own PDAs, more than twice as many as the national average of 13%. 66% of professionals, managers and executives own laptops, significantly more than employed Americans in any other field of work. The semi-skilled workers can be found on the other side of the gadget ownership spectrum. They are significantly less likely than professionals, clerical workers and managers to own any of the gadgets (13% do not own any type of computer or gadget, including cell phones). Additionally, only 7% of semi-skilled workers own PDAs, compared with 19% of employed Americans who own PDAs. Only 76% of Americans working in semi-skilled trades own cell phones, while 89% of all employed Americans own cell phones, according to Pew Internet Project.
Profession | Cell phone | Desktop | Laptop | Blackberry or other PDA |
Professional (lawyer, doctor, teacher, accountant) | 94% | 89% | 68% | 30% |
Clerical, office, sales | 90 | 87 | 46 | 21 |
Manager, executive, business owner | 93 | 78 | 62 | 30 |
Service work (waiter, hairstylist, policeman, janitor, nurses’ aide) |
88 | 69 | 36 | 10 |
Skilled trades (electrician, plumber, carpenter) | 86 | 72 | 47 | 10 |
Semi-skilled (assembly line worker, truck driver, bus driver) |
76 | 56 | 29 | 7 |
Other | 88 | 71 | 50 | 22 |
Source: Pew Internet Project |