New EPV: The Digital Economy and Closing the Opportunity Gap

Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow Ralph Everett presents the hope and policy implications of the explosion of digital technology in a new Economic Policy Vignette (new window) released by the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy.

Everett puts forth that the digital revolution has opened a universe of new possibilities but that realizing the digital economy’s potential to close gaps in employment and pay is not guaranteed. Providing students with a digital-era education and ready access to broadband must be a foundational part of the national strategy to close the digital divide and to achieve the best-educated workforce possible. “If we can do that, Americans of every race, ethnicity, and income group will have a fairer chance to seize the digital future and enjoy the jobs, higher incomes, and economic opportunities that will go with it.”