Due to teleworking, job creation in the information technology sector has increased since the pandemic in Montreal, which faces fierce competition from other major North American cities to attract talent.
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This is the conclusion reached by a study unveiled Wednesday by the Institut du Québec, Montreal International and the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
The report compares the Quebec metropolis with 13 large North American cities that are similar in terms of demographics and IT jobs.
According to the study, the number of IT professionals increased by 30,000 in Montreal between 2016 and 2020, while it jumped 15.7% between 2019 and 2020 due to telecommuting.
This performance, placing Montreal at the top of North American metropolises, is tempered by the deficit which affects half of the information technology professions and which is likely to persist in the medium term.
The vacancy rate is 2.7%, below the 3.3% observed in all economic sectors of Greater Montreal, where workforce and talent issues are at the heart of its development. economic.
The three organizations recommend in particular focusing on training, helping businesses face up to competition and strengthening Montreal’s attractiveness in a tight labor market.
“With the digital shift accelerating, all industries are currently relying on IT professionals to maintain and develop the systems essential to their growth,” said Emna Braham, Deputy Director at IDQ. In this context, the scarcity of talent is a very worrying risk for all organizations. ”
“Because of the strategic role that these experts are called upon to play in the growth of our economy, attracting and retaining talent is therefore increasingly essential for local businesses,” said Christian Bernard, vice-president. president at Montreal International.
“It is therefore imperative that the growth of the IT sector be supported by ambitious political choices,” added Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the CCMM, pleading for the attraction and retention of foreign talent.