The New ‘App Economy’

What’s the Latest Development?

According to a University of Maryland study, at least 182,000 new jobs have been created by businesses in the U.S. making apps specifically for Facebook, the world’s most popular social network with more than 750 million users. “The study also said its economic models for coming up with its employment estimates for the Facebook app economy has generated a value about $12.19 billion in wages and benefits for U.S. workers.” The app industry is one of the few segments of the American economy that is experiencing rapid growth. 

What’s the Big Idea?

Social networking sites have created a vibrant new industry of digital application makers who work to connect more and more facets of our lives to the Internet. “The businesses in the app economy, however, aren’t just made up of companies that make game apps, or sharing apps, or news reading apps, or apps to buy laundry detergent and other goods though Facebook. The app economy also includes ‘businesses that supply app developers,’ which in doing business with app makers have themselves added ‘between 129,000 to more than 182,000 people’ to ‘jobs supported by the app economy,’ the study said.”