Apple's $500 billion investment touches Seattle
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Apple announced plans Monday to invest more than $500 billion in the U.S. and hire 20,000 people nationally over the next four years, including in Washington state.
Why it matters: This is Apple's largest financial commitment to date, and Washington is among a handful of states that will feel the impact of the tech giant's plans.
Driving the news: Apple has doubled the number of team members in Seattle over the past three years to more than 2,400, and it intends to keep growing, Mike Allen and Ben Berkowitz report.
Zoom in: Last month, Apple secured a 193,000-square‐foot lease at Seattle's Arbor Blocks 333 in South Lake Union, a space previously occupied by Meta.
- Apple's new lease was the largest in Seattle since 2019, GeekWire reported.
- In 2019, Apple unveiled a major expansion plan in Seattle, aiming to boost its workforce to 2,000 employees within five years.
- The company already operates offices at 333 Dexter Ave. N.
Zoom out: Other states included in Apple's plans are Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Texas.
What they're saying: "We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we're proud to build on our longstanding U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country's future," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.
The big picture: Apple says it now supports nearly 3 million jobs across the U.S. through direct employment, work with suppliers and manufacturers, and developer jobs in the iOS app economy.
- Apple already works with thousands of suppliers across all 50 states, including 24 factories in 12 states.
- The new jobs will focus on research and development, silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning.