Apple says 2020 was a “breakthrough year” for its iOS app economy, and that its App Store now supports 330,000+ jobs in the United Kingdom, with developers in the U.K. generating more than £3.6 billion in total earnings, which represents 22% in growth compared to the previous year.
The Cupertino firm says a similar trend was shown in Europe, where the iOS app economy has grown to support 1.7 million jobs – a 7% percent increase since 2019.
Growth in the UK was driven by the innovations and breakthrough success of UK developers, whose apps users relied on for learning, working out, keeping track of their health, or finding ways to stay connected and entertained. During the pandemic, people turned to UK workout apps like One You Couch to 5K, fitness plan app Fiit, and sleep support app Sleepiest Sleep Sounds Stories. UK developer Moshi, a sleep and mindfulness app for children, has seen a rapid growth in downloads and subscriptions over the last year, leading to a 50 percent expansion of its team with 10 new hires.
“In a year like no other, the UK has remained a vibrant a and innovative hub for entrepreneurs and app developers,” said Christopher Moser, senior director of the App Store. “More people in the UK than ever before are working as part of the iOS app ecosystem, creating exciting apps enjoyed by people all over the world.”
Apple also released similar press releases in Germany and France, claiming that in the two nations, the App Store supports a combined total of over half a million jobs.
Apple’s press release highlighted App Store success stories by UK developers in 2020.
Busuu, the world’s largest online language learning community, has seen incredible growth in the last year with 70 new hires, doubling the size of the company. This year, it plans to expand the team by more than 50 percent.
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Digital Workroom creates innovative apps and supports businesses trying to design their own. It recently partnered with the University of Manchester to develop an app to safely record important information for patients during visits to the doctor’s office.
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Hutch Games creates free-to-play games like the popular F1 Manager, Top Drives, and Rebel Racing. The company started with a team of four and has grown to 117 people, hiring 31 over the last year alone. Hutch plans to grow its workforce by another 30 or 40 people in 2021.
Apple says UK developers have benefitted from its App Store Small Business Program. The program launched earlier this year, and debuted a reduced 15% commission rate for developers that earned under $1 million in 2020. Apple takes a 30% cut of the action from developers making over one million dollars per year.
