Apple says its iOS app economy supports 243,000 Canadian jobs

What you need to know

• Apple says the iOS economy in Canada is strong.
• Apple's App Store now supports more than 243,000 jobs in Canada.
• Developers across Canada have generated more than $2 billion CAD

Even though the pandemic has drastically changed life for lots of people and businesses over the past year, the App Store in Canada seems to be growing strong.

Apple says that there are now 243,000 jobs in Canada that are supported by the App Store, which is more than an 18% increase from the previous year.

"As the pandemic forced people across Canada to adapt every aspect of their lives and brick-and-mortar businesses to move online, the iOS app economy was a resilient source of opportunity, innovation, and economic growth. Canadian developers continued to grow their businesses and share new apps with the world, and Apple's App Store now supports more than 243,000 jobs in Canada — an increase of more than 18 percent over the past year."

Apple states the strong performance is thanks to the App Store Small Business Program, which reduces the amount of commission Apple takes on App Store purchases for smaller developers — those who earn under $1 million in proceeds over the course of the year. Apple started the program in January, which slashed its commission by 15% for qualifying developers, giving small developers the chance to grow faster.

"This is significantly lower than the industry standard, creating enormous potential for startups like TRU LUV, MODU Research, and Ground News to reinvest, try out new ideas, grow, and usher in the next generation of app economy innovation.

Apple states that to date, Canadian developers have generated more than $2 billion (CAD) in total earnings. That equals about a 20% growth in 2020 from the previous year.