Apple to create 20,000 US jobs as part of US$500b spending package

The news: Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that the tech giant will hire an additional 20,000 workers in the US in the coming four years, as tech industry leaders seek to gain favour with President Trump ahead of potential trade tariffs.

The numbers: The additional workforce hires will be part of a USD500 billion ($785.4 billion) American investment plan by the company, which includes regular spending on thousands of US suppliers, data centres and corporate facilities. The company added that Apple remains one of the largest taxpayers in the country, having paid more than USD75 billion in US taxes over the past five years, including USD19 billion in 2024 alone.

The context: The USD500 billion package is the company’s largest-ever spend commitment, and will see Apple open a new manufacturing facility in Houston to make servers for Apple Intelligence, the doubling of its US Advanced Manufacturing Fund (from USD5 billion to USD10 billion, and the establishment of an academy in Michigan “to train the next generation of US manufacturers”.

The spending was announced just days after Cook met with Trump in the Oval Office. Following the meeting the President said “He’s investing hundreds of billions of dollars,” implying that Cook will invest in the US in order to avoid tariffs. Trump had threatened slapping an additional 10% tax on Chinese-imported items, where Apple manufactures the majority of its products.