Millions of Americans lack access to high-speed internet because of where they live or the added cost. While college students say their main concern about starting a job from home would be onboarding remotely, a significant number of students also worry about not having adequate internet access.
A new college survey of 700 undergraduates finds that almost 4 in 10 (37%) say they would be concerned about not having high-speed, reliable internet if they were starting a job remotely. Roughly 1 in 10 (12%) students say it would be their biggest concern.
Students rank high-speed internet or a hotspot as the most helpful work-from-home benefit an employer could offer remote workers. Regardless of whether they will be looking for a full-time job or an internship this year, a majority (72%) of students overall say it would be very helpful for an employer to pay for remote employees’ high-speed internet or mobile hotspots. By comparison, 67% of students say a company-provided laptop would be very helpful.
7 in 10 Students say Employers Paying for High-Speed Internet Would be Very Helpful
Percentage of students who say it would be very helpful if they started a new job remotely and their employer paid for the following:
At the same time, almost half (45%) of students would choose for their employer to pay for high-speed internet or a mobile hotspot if they could only choose one work-from-home benefit. One-third (33%) would choose a laptop and 8% would choose office supplies, such as a desk. However, among those seeking a full-time job, female students are more likely than male students to say they would want an employer to pay for a laptop if they could only choose one (36% vs. 27%). Male students are more likely to choose high-speed internet (58% vs. 37%).
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted in December among a sample of 700 full-time and part-time students attending colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
