Mobile apps create jobs for more Aussies

A journalist trials a SmartShop mobile app, which is still in development, at a Sainsbury's store in northwest London, Britain October 23, 2015 Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

A new report shows an increasing number of Aussies employed in the app industry. A total of 113,000 are working in the field today, a surge by 11 percent since 2014, a report from the Progressive Policy Institute states. The report titled “The Rise of the Australian App Economy” cites the launch of iPhone and App stores as the beginning of what has become an “important source of employment and economic growth” in the country.

In New South Wales, over 56,000 people are employed in the "App Economy.” Also in the field are 29,000 people in Victoria and 14,500 in Queensland.

The report also calculates the number of App Economy jobs in Australia called “App Intensity.” The nation has an app intensity of 0.9 percent. In comparison, United States is at 1.1 percent. Europe, on the other hand, is at 0.8 percent.

PPI Chief Economic Strategist Michael Mandel, the author of the report, described the Australian app economy as remarkably diverse industry and geography. "A surprisingly broad range of enterprises are searching for workers across the country who have the ability to design, develop, maintain or support mobile applications," he said.

Mandel notes that any app is exportable and can be downloaded from an app store around the world. “That means the Australian App Economy can become a basis for continued growth,” he said, adding that apps can advance the attractiveness and efficiency of the Aussie economy.

Furthermore, the report stresses more than 4 billion mobile broadband subscriptions. The use of mobile data climbs at 55 percent a year.

Since the App Store’s launch in 2008, over 180 billion apps have been downloaded. On the same year, Australia was on a brink of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), and it has become a source of jobs. Apples paid out more than US$70 billion to developers during that time.

Today, 2.2 million apps can be downloaded in the App Store. That is a 20 percent rise from last year.

Gaming app Fruit Ninja, construction app Workyard, painting app Procreate and iOS app and web-based application for graphic design Canva are some standout apps. Fruit Ninja is the second most downloaded game in App Store so far.

Other apps were also given a shoutout. These include to-do list app Streaks, fitness app Zova, emojifit Diabetes and HeadCheck, an app that parents and coaches use to recognise signs and symptoms of concussion in kids.

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