• by April 12, 2001

The Internet ratings report for the month of March 2001 from Nielsen//NetRatings reveals that home Internet access for blue-collar workers grew faster than any other occupational group, surging 52% since March 2000. The growth rate for factory operators and laborers was more than double the rate of Internet growth. Overall, the Internet grew 25% since last March.

"The Internet was, at first, an elitist country club reserved only for individuals with select financial abilities and technical skills," said Sean Kaldor, VP of eCommerce, NetRatings. "Now, nearly every socio-economic group is aggressively adopting the Web, having a fundamental impact on e-commerce, online advertising, and more. This continues to open up new mid-market opportunities for mass merchandising, consumer packaged goods marketing, and value-conscious e-commerce."

Factory operators and laborers accounted for 9.5 million of the total Internet population who accessed the Web in March 2001, compared to only 6.2 million during the same month last year. Surfers spent an average of 11 minutes online and viewed 698 pages during the month.

Homemakers were the second fastest growing group, jumping 49% in the past year to 2.5 million people. Internet users working in the service field grew 37% or 2.9 million, while workers in sales rose 37% to more than 5.6 million. Workers in the clerical or administrative field rounded out the top five. More than 5.5 million had access to the Web from home, rising 31% in the past year.