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AI & Jobs

Is AI showing up in your line of work?

Every two weeks the Census Bureau asks about 1.2 million US businesses whether they used AI in the last two weeks and whether they expect to be using it in six months. This is what they say, sector by sector, next to what employment is actually doing.

23.8%

of US businesses used AI

In the two weeks to Sep 7 – Sep 20 2026

27.6%

expect to be using AI in six months

What the same businesses say they expect

+6.5 pts

change since Nov 2025

From 17.3%, when the survey last changed how it asks

Businesses using AI, and expecting to

The gap between the two lines is the share of businesses that expect to start within six months. It has stayed open since the question was first asked in October 2023. The line breaks at November 2025, where the Census Bureau widened the question from AI used in producing goods or services to AI used in any business function. The step up across that break is the new wording, not businesses adopting AI overnight.

  • Using AI now
  • Expect to be using AI in six months

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. Estimates are the share of responding employer businesses, not of workers.

AI use by sector

Share of businesses in each sector using AI in the latest collection period, with the lighter bar showing how many expect to in six months.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. Estimates are the share of responding employer businesses, not of workers.

What businesses expect to do about headcount

Six months from now, how businesses think their number of paid employees will have changed. Most say no change; these are the two tails.

9.9%expect fewerexpect more12.2%

This is a count of businesses, and most US businesses are small. A large employer planning to cut and a two-person shop planning to hire count the same here.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. Estimates are the share of responding employer businesses, not of workers.

Total nonfarm payrolls

159.0 million jobs in September 2026, up 29,000 on the month (preliminary).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, seasonally adjusted. The most recent months are preliminary and get revised.

What BLS projects to 2035

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for 831 occupations a decade ahead. These are the five growing fastest.

All occupations

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–2035 projections. BLS does not model AI as a separate driver; read these as what BLS projects, not as a forecast of AI's effect.

See what people are sharing about using AI at work