iOS app economy has created 300,000 jobs since April 2019, says Apple

Apple says its iOS app economy has created nearly 300,000 jobs since April of last year.

In a press release today the company stated:

The iOS app economy has created nearly 300,000 new jobs since April 2019, helping to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages even as COVID-19 continues to create immense challenges and uncertainty for communities across the country. Developers nationwide — including companies such as Caribu, H‑E‑B, and Shine — have adapted their businesses to make sure they can keep supporting their customers during a challenging time.

Apple says the iOS app economy is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy, and now supports more than 2 million jobs in 50 U.S. states, 15% more than last year.

Apple has also highlighted how developers are adapting to the pandemic, such as Caribu in Miami, Florida:

Caribu is an app that enables immersive, activity-rich video calls, allowing families and friends to stay close even from afar. Participants can draw together, read bedtime stories, solve puzzles, cook, and even visit museums in real time — connections that have become even more important in recent months. Caribu co-founders Maxeme Tuchman and Alvaro Sabido saw their business take off this spring, as people sought new ways to keep in touch. To respond to the tenfold increase in customers across the globe, Caribu's team tripled in size, from 4 employees to 12, contributing to the 17,000 new app economy jobs in Florida.

Apple says in Texas, the app economy has added 36,000 jobs in the past year, up 30%. Other notable increased include 25,000 new jobs in Maryland, 12,000 in Michigan, and double-digit percentage increases in areas like Alabama, Nevada, and Oklahoma.

Apple says it employs over 90,000 people in all 50 U.S. states and is "on-track" to fulfill a commitment to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. over a five year period. Apple says it also supports 450,000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs through 9,000 American suppliers.

Apple's iOS App Store has come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks, notably in a lawsuit filed by Epic Games against the company over claims its policies and 30% cut are unfair.