Apple Celebrates Successful Year with Record-Breaking App Store Sales, Strong Job Creation

[MacRumors]

App Store customers worldwide set a new record in the first week of 2015, Apple announced today. According to the company, customers spent nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January, with New Year's Day marking the biggest day ever for App Store sales.

As noted by Apple, this opening salvo for 2015 follows in the footsteps of a successful 2014 that saw billings rise 50 percent to generate over $10 billion in app revenue for developers, pushing total developer earnings since the App Store's inception to over $25 billion. The steady climb of user acceptance for iOS 8, along with the strong success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and App Store specials like the (Product) RED Holiday Campaign, undoubtedly contributed to the company's App Store success of the App Store over the past few months.

"This year is off to a tremendous start after a record-breaking year for the App Store and our developer community," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "We're so proud of the creativity and innovation developers bring to the apps they create for iOS users and that the developer community has now earned over $25 billion."

The company points to innovations like the new programming language Swift, graphics technology Metal, beta-testing program TestFlight, and the introduction of HealthKit and HomeKit as major reasons behind the flourishing of App Store development in the past year. Outside of the U.S., the addition of UnionPay as a payment option for App Store customers in China was a significant move by the company in establishing an overseas presence in the country.

Apple Pay's growing popularity in the U.S. has also been a factor in the App Store's success, especially with its added integration in popular apps like those from Target, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster.

Apple isn't just celebrating a successful monetary year, but a job-creating one as well. The company has created or supported 1,027,000 jobs in the U.S., 627,000 of which are directly related to the inception of the iOS ecosystem and the App Store. Apple directly employs 66,000 employees in the United States.

We're proud to create 1M+ US jobs in all 50 states and ring in another record-breaking year for developers globally. http://t.co/kQeHQVCGou - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 8, 2015

Beyond the App Store ecosystem and Apple's own employment, the company calculates it supports 334,000 jobs at other companies resulting from Apple's own spending and growth through the years. And with Apple Campus 2 under construction, the company expects to continue employment growth, supporting 41,100 jobs in the area upon its completion.

Article Link: Apple Celebrates Successful Year with Record-Breaking App Store Sales, Strong Job Creation

 

[Traverse]

Ooops, I thought you meant apps were going on sale for the celebration. Silly me...

 

[NeverhadaPC]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

 

[MH01]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

Excellent point . Happy for apple to quote how many people "they" hired.

 

[pondhopper]

Health kit and HomeKit? You mean those two things that don't do a whole lot of anything yet?

 

[RolyPolyBird]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

They created the framework, markets, hardware and software that acted as a platform for these jobs to be created. They are impressive stats, especially with the state of other parts of the economy.

 

[dugbug]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

They sent out surveys to all of us

 

[2bikes]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

I understand your point but job creation is not the same thing as hiring people. Government creates jobs by making/chaining laws (Sometimes they kill jobs). Anyway, the point is causing the need for new jobs. But what I don't understand is, are all these developers work on iOS?

 

[jayducharme]

It would be interesting for comparison to know how many jobs Microsoft created during its heyday starting in the 1990s. Or how many Google is creating with its Android ecosystem.

 

[JAQ]

It isn't really Apple that creates these jobs. It's really Apple customers who create jobs, by buying the products.

 

[Rogifan]

It isn't really Apple that creates these jobs. It's really Apple customers who create jobs, by buying the products.

But if it wasn't for Apple building these products there would be no customers or anything to buy.

 

[Rufuss Sewell]

It isn't really Apple that creates these jobs. It's really Apple customers who create jobs, by buying the products.

We're all working together to benefit the economy and society. Nothing wrong with Apple or it's customers for patting themselves on the back for taking part in job creation. It's a possitive thing we're all involved with.

 

[Tycho24]

I understand your point but job creation is not the same thing as hiring people. Government creates jobs by making/chaining laws (Sometimes they kill jobs). Anyway, the point is causing the need for new jobs. But what I don't understand is, are all these developers work on iOS?

Well...
From the fine print:
"iOS ecosystem jobs estimate based on research by Dr. Michael Mandel and Judith Scherer of South Mountain Economics, “Geography of the App Economy,” September 2012, as well as research from VisionMobile’s “The European App Economy,” July 2014, and “European App Economy,” September 2013."
Also, it looks like App developers made up 627k of this #, not all of it. Actually that # isn't just devs either, technically it is "Jobs attributable to the iOS ecosystem".

 

[Tankmaze]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

When I left neighborhood kids remove snow from my driveway, I am not boasting job creation. I assume CragList doesn't go around and claim job creation from exchanges on their boards?

They created the ecosystem and economy, and because an app store there are lots of jobs for capable programmers. Just look at site like freelancers.com where lots of companies / personal entities looking for developer to build them apps.

 

[MikePLP]

Apple is DOOMED!

 

[thresk]

oh

Think of the more jobs that could be created if Apple weren’t hoarding its money overseas in order to not pay taxes.

 

[Col4bin]

Very interesting. I guess this positive App Store data helps to offset Apple iTunes sales being so down full year 2014, and losing out to streaming services like Spotify.

 

[ChrisCW11]

Now for the hard part

Slamming Apple employees for one of the worst iOS rollouts in its history, #bendgate, ample security exploits, the celebrity nude photo leaks, iCloud is STILL not patched, and a slew of other headaches and things that just should not happen when one of the highest profit companies goes on about how great their sales are for a year.

It's great to make all that money, now its time to invest in making Apple better than the average Asian OEM manufacture in terms of product quality and security.

Apple's quality has degraded to near 1990's Microsoft levels over the last few years.

 

[MikePLP]

Slamming Apple employees for one of the worst iOS rollouts in its history, #bendgate, ample security exploits, the celebrity nude photo leaks, iCloud is STILL not patched, and a slew of other headaches and things that just should not happen when one of the highest profit companies goes on about how great their sales are for a year.

It's great to make all that money, now its time to invest in making Apple better than the average Asian OEM manufacture in terms of product quality and security.

Apple's quality has degraded to near 1990's Microsoft levels over the last few years.

Bahahahah. I needed that laugh. Do you do stand up?

 

[numlock]

But if it wasn't for Apple building these products there would be no customers or anything to buy.

but what about the food producers, oil producers and office supply producers? apple wouldnt exist without those yet none of them would claim to have created all of jobs at apple.

its an ecosystem and apple has no superior claim than the devs or customers.

nothing as pathetic as big business going overboard in all the jobs created.

 

[Col4bin]

Slamming Apple employees for one of the worst iOS rollouts in its history, #bendgate, ample security exploits, the celebrity nude photo leaks, iCloud is STILL not patched, and a slew of other headaches and things that just should not happen when one of the highest profit companies goes on about how great their sales are for a year.

It's great to make all that money, now its time to invest in making Apple better than the average Asian OEM manufacture in terms of product quality and security.

Apple's quality has degraded to near 1990's Microsoft levels over the last few years.

Bahahahah. I needed that laugh. Do you do stand up?

Whoa, put the Apple Koolaid down, man. You've been overserved.

 

[firewood]

A bit rich to claim to have created the Developer jobs related to Apps: Developer works, develops an App, posts it to Apple's stores, gives Apple part of proceeds. Does Apple take any risks in this "hire"? Does Apple supply benefits to these jobs?

Absolutely. Apple forks out billions for R&D, manufacturing and inventory in iPhones and iPads. Without the iPhone, iOS SDK, Cocoa Touch frameworks and the iOS App store, developers would be developing web apps or apps for some other platform that produces far less paying customers for mobile apps. As for risks, Apple will get bad PR for any malware or privacy leaks these developers sneak in.

Sure the farmers works hard in their fields to grow coffee and chocolate in Africa, toiling in the hot sun, but without the modern ships and jet aircraft to take product to market, the money people spend in Starbucks would never trickle down to them.

 

[MikePLP]

but what about the food producers, oil producers and office supply producers? apple wouldnt exist without those yet none of them would claim to have created all of jobs at apple.

its an ecosystem and apple has no superior claim than the devs or customers.

nothing as pathetic as big business going overboard in all the jobs created.

Don't be ridiculous. There would be no app dev jobs without Apple. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there would be no android dev jobs without Apple because there would be NO android without the iPhone.

 

[Jsameds]

Maybe they should hire someone who knows what these are...

 

[MikePLP]

Whoa, put the Apple Koolaid down, man. You've been overserved.

LOL, such a typical anti-apple response. Get more original. You seem to be the one drinking the anti-apple Koolaid.