Washington, D.C. (October 4, 2012) – Virginia ranks as a national app industry leader, according to a study released today by CTIA-The Wireless Association® and the Application Developers Alliance. The research, conducted by South Mountain Economics, LLC and entitled “The Geography of the App Economy”, found that application development is responsible for 15,000 jobs in Virginia, with an economic impact of $788 million. That makes Virginia the 8th most “app intense” state in the nation. App intensity measures the number of app related jobs in a state relative to the number of jobs overall.
The study also found that Virginia is benefitting from app development specifically related to the government and military sectors, with many federal agencies turning to app developers to modernize their operations. In addition, Virginia is home to a number of small app development firms and startups.
“I am happy but not surprised to see Virginia listed as one of the nation’s most app-intense states. I believe that there is a bright future for tech innovators in Virginia and nationally, and that is one of the reasons I joined the Application Developers Alliance and am serving on the Board. I look forward to being part of continued app economy growth within the state,” said Todd Moore, Founder of TMSoft and a board member of the Application Developers Alliance.
Nationwide, the app economy has produced 519,000 jobs, according to the study. Developers and related personnel are being hired by companies large and small, from major tech companies to startups and from government agencies to universities. Moreover, the research finds that the app industry is contributing to the economies of every state.
“The app industry is a borderless economic force, providing opportunity across the country–even in places we might not expect. In a challenging economic environment, the app industry has created more than a half million jobs in the five years since Apple’s iPhone launched. This new industry is propelling innovation and jobs in urban centers and rural states. And this is just the beginning,” said Jon Potter, President of the Application Developers Alliance.
The research builds on a February 2012 study completed by South Mountain Economics that measured the total number of app jobs nationwide. Delving deeper with this study, researchers examined help wanted ads across the U.S. to measure the number of app jobs in each state, the states’ App Intensity, and the economic impact of the apps industry. While traditionally tech-heavy states Washington and California topped the list for app intensity, states with burgeoning tech sectors, including Virginia, were highly ranked.
Read the entire study here (PDF).
About the Application Developers Alliance
The Application Developers Alliance is an industry association dedicated to meeting the unique needs of application developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Alliance members include more than 10,000 individual application developers and dozens of companies, investors, and stakeholders in the apps ecosystem.
About CTIA
CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry’s leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC.
About South Mountain Economics
South Mountain Economics LLC (http://www.southmountaineconomics.com) provides cutting-edge research and consulting on innovation, jobs and economic development. In a data-driven economy, South Mountain Economics shows how to harness better data to create better jobs.
