Many of the tasks involved in looking for a job these days involve sharing and storing
digital data. Digital technology is now required for job seekers to research employers,
store resumes, complete applications, and schedule interviews. What is the employment
process for people who are living on the poverty line, without reliable access to the
Internet or mobile phones? We focus on technology maintenance, the continuous work
required to stay digitally connected, to understand how low-income job seekers in
northern California manage the circulation and storage of information. We incorporate
the concept of delegation from Latour to explore how people consciously consider
who or what entities are responsible for technology maintenance, as this varies by
government policies related to digital subsidies. This article draws novel connections
between the influence of government policy on technology maintenance and how both
the policies and digital inequalities shape impoverished job seekers’ choices around
sharing and storage practices