Apple: App Store supports more than 2.2 million jobs in the U.S. and increases revenue for small developers by 118%

Apple cited a pair of studies showing that its App Store now supports more than 2.2 million jobs in the United States and has increased the revenue of small developers by 118%. The first of the two studies, an analysis by economists from an Apple-funded analysis group, showed that the revenue growth of small App Store developers has exceeded that of large developers by more than double.

Small developers — those earning less than $1 million per year from the App Store and with fewer than 1 million annual downloads — have seen revenue grow 118% since 2019.

The study also shows that the number of small developers is also growing. Among the new small businesses started on the App Store in 2021, 24% are from Europe, 23% are from China, 14% are from the United States, and 34% are from regions such as South Korea, India, and Brazil.

Another data found by economists is that 45% of large developers had no presence on the App Store five years ago or had revenues of less than $10,000. Therefore, the report concluded that the App Store helped entrepreneurs start and quickly expand their businesses.

Apple also highlighted another study from the Progressive Policy Institute that looked at how the iOS app economy has created "millions of jobs."

The two studies Apple highlighted today are far from the company's first sponsored research, with past studies, many of which were conducted by analytics firms, focusing on areas such as Apple's App Store commissions, the strength of third-party apps, and total commercial growth on the marketplace.

Apple's App Store has come under increasing antitrust pressure in recent years, including in the United States and Europe. Lawmakers around the world are working on new laws and regulations that could force Apple to change its App Store business practices, including its commission rates and ban on third-party iPhone app stores.

From cnBeta.COM