An economic study has revealed that Apple’s iOS app economy has created 1.2m jobs in Europe, 1.6m in the US and 1.4m jobs in China.
The news comes as Apple reveals it has paid developers nearly $40bn since 2008, with more than one-third of this paid out in the last year alone.
Apple revealed that in the two weeks ending 3 January, consumers spent more than $1.1bn on apps and in-app purchases. A new record was set on 1 January 2016 when customers spent over $144m alone – the previous record was set a week earlier on Christmas Day.
‘We’re grateful to all the developers who have created the most innovative and exciting apps in the world for our customers. We can’t wait for what’s to come in 2016’
– PHIL SCHILLER, APPLE
“The App Store had a holiday season for the record books. We are excited that our customers downloaded and enjoyed so many incredible apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV, spending over $20bn on the App Store last year alone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing.
“We’re grateful to all the developers who have created the most innovative and exciting apps in the world for our customers. We can’t wait for what’s to come in 2016.”
With the launch of the new iPad Pro, the Apple Watch and the Apple TV, the variety and spectrum of apps available in the App Store is set to increase exponentially.
The iOS jobs economy
Jobs for developers and businesses whose opportunities have been enhanced by the iOS app economy as a result of the sales are continuing to rocket.
A study by Dr Michael Mandel of the Progressive Policy Institute found that the iOS app economy has created 1.2m jobs in Europe, 1.6m jobs in the US and 1.4m jobs in China.
Mandel said that the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 created a profound new economic force.
‘The rise of the internet of things is going to supercharge the app economy’
– DR MICHAEL MANDEL
The launch of the App Store a year later in 2008 ignited a global app economy boom, with developers being the chief beneficiaries.
“Arguably, no other innovation has had this transformative of an effect on the domestic and global economy in terms of scale and speed, achieving an unprecedented level of adoption in such a short time,” Dr Mandel said.
“As a result, a flood of developers around the world are writing and maintaining the mobile applications that make smartphones profoundly useful. For the most part, these developers are not just hobbyists writing games in their basements. Instead, the App Economy is led by large and small companies that understand mobile apps are the wave of the future, as more and more people are linked to the internet through their devices.
“Similarly, governments and non-profits use mobile apps as an interface for contact with their citizens and members.”
Mandel defined the iOS jobs economy as employing developers, software engineers, security engineers and help-desk workers, as well as indirect non-IT jobs, including HR, marketing and sales in the same enterprises.
A further boost occurs in the local economy in the form of spillover jobs from income resulting in local retail and restaurant jobs, construction jobs and other services.
In Ireland, for example, where Apple is adding 1,000 new jobs on top of the 5,000 existing ones in Cork and is constructing an $850m data centre in Galway, it is estimated that one tech job results in three additional jobs in the local economy.
“Going forward, the rise of the internet of things is going to supercharge the app economy,” Dr Mandel said.
“As more and more objects and physical processes are connected to the internet, people will increasingly use mobile apps as their interface to their homes, their cars, their schools, and their health providers. These apps will be highly functional and sophisticated, serving an essential role in interacting with our environment,” Mandel added.
iPad shoppers image via Shutterstock
