Economist estimates GTA VI launch could cost US employers $1 billion in sick days
Pompeu Fabra University professor José García Montalvo projects about 1.5 million US workers could call in sick when Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19. It is an academic projection, not an official forecast.
Grand Theft Auto VI could cost the US economy about $1 billion in lost work, according to a projection by José García Montalvo, an economics professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. The International Business Times first reported the figure, which assumes around 1.5 million workers call in sick for the launch on November 19, 29 days from today.
GamesRadar+ describes it as an academic projection rather than an official forecast.
According to Insider Gaming, the calculation takes roughly 1.5 million absences against an average yearly output of about $70,000 per US worker, which points to a short-term productivity dip of around 2%. Montalvo expects men aged 18 to 30 to make up most of the absences and the technology sector to be hit hardest. GamesRadar+ notes that this matches the profile of people who took time off for GTA V. Workers who do show up may get less done too, thanks to launch-week chatter, late nights and streams.
The IBT points out that the $1 billion roughly matches Take-Two's own outlook: CEO Strauss Zelnick told shareholders the company expects more than $1 billion in operating cash flow this fiscal year, driven mainly by GTA VI. Much of that windfall goes to the UK, the IBT adds, since lead studio Rockstar North is based in Edinburgh, while US employers absorb the loss.
For scale, market analyst Newzoo estimates at least 37 million copies sold in the opening week and first-week retail bookings of up to $4.5 billion worldwide. GamesRadar+ also notes that several companies have already said they will close on launch day, on the reasoning that staff would call in sick anyway.
