2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the creation of the App Economy, which has played a significant role in Germany’s economic growth. Today, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released a new report “The German App Economy: 2023” finding that the App Economy is responsible for 633,000 jobs in Germany as of May 2023. That accounts for roughly 13% of the total net gain in German jobs since 2008, when the Apple App Store and the Android Market, precursor to Google Play, first opened.
Report authors Michael Mandel, Vice President and Chief Economist, and Jordan Shapiro, Director of the Innovation Frontier Project, outline the new estimates of the job growth created by the App Economy, as well as how the App Economy has provided a route into the digital workforce for people who come from varied backgrounds.
“The App Economy has helped drive job growth in Germany for the past 15 years,” said Dr. Michael Mandel. “These positive trends seem to be continuing and it’s important to continue to expand the digital workforce to reflect these new opportunities.”
As digital jobs continue to grow, so does the demand for new digital skills. But supply for these skilled jobs continues to lag as workforce shortages persist across the tech industry. To address this issue, Taylor Maag, Director of Workforce Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, released a new report titled “Closing the Digital Skills Gap: Unveiling Insights for Four Countries.” The report outlines the barriers confronting workers who want to acquire skills and examines four countries’ efforts to address the digital skill divide.
By the numbers:
● 633,000 jobs in the German App Economy, up 38% since 2019
● Across Europe and the U.S., job requirements for digital skills have increased by 50%.
On Monday evening, PPI and its Mosaic Project will host a panel event with Das Progressive Zentrum and Women Who Code Berlin celebrating the 15th anniversary of the app economy and discussing these new reports.
Read and download the “German App Economy” report here and the “Closing the Digital Skills Gap” report here.
