Montreal workforce grows 177 per cent in two years

The latest figures from regional Canada agency Invest Quebec have revealed that the population of the local games development workforce is close to 5,000.

Invest Quebec’s recent annual survey counts the number of workers in the region’s industry at 4,953.

The survey looked at 56 companies in the Quebec region and calculated that the area has seen 177 per cent growth from 2005 to 2007 – no surprise to spectators elsewhere, who know all too well that the the region’s tax credits have tempted publishers to ramp up their activity in the region.

Ubisoft Montreal is the biggest employer in the state, with 1,609 employees – a number set to rise up to 3,000 thanks to a growth plan announced earlier this year.

Second biggest is independent A2M, which has 438 employees, with EA Montreal behind it at 380.

Eidos’ recently opened Montreal base is not as big as those yet, at just 70 staff – but the quick ramp up to that number (it opened earlier this year) has already propelled it to be one of the 15 biggest studios in the region.