Online Platforms and Rural Poverty Reduction in Ethiopia: A Trend Analysis

Online job platforms have emerged as significant tools in connecting rural populations with employment opportunities. Data was collected through surveys distributed to rural households, employing quantitative methods for analysis. The proportion of rural households utilising online platforms increased from 30% in the first year to 50% by the third year, indicating growing adoption. Online job platforms are playing a crucial role in improving employment prospects and alleviating poverty among rural Ethiopian households. Governments should invest further in digital literacy programmes targeting rural areas to maximise platform usage effectiveness. Poverty reduction, Rural Ethiopia, Online job platforms, Digital economy Model estimation used θ̂=argminθ∑ᵢ(yᵢ,f_θ(xᵢ))+λθ₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.