Sector · NAICS 44
AI and jobs in retail trade
Stores and online sellers, from groceries and clothing to electronics and cars.
16.5%
of retail trade businesses used AI
In the two weeks to Sep 7 – Sep 20 2026
19.6%
expect to be using AI in six months
27.6% across all sectors
+4.0 pts
change since Nov 2025
From 12.5%, when the survey last changed how it asks
AI use in retail trade
The sector against the national average, with what businesses in it expect six months out. 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.
- All sectors
- Retail trade, using AI now
- 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.
Employment
15,479,900 jobs in September 2026, up 0.2% on the year (preliminary).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, seasonally adjusted. Recent months are preliminary and get revised.
Job openings
761,000 open positions in August 2026.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
What these businesses expect to do about headcount
Six months from now, how businesses in this sector think their number of paid employees will have changed.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. A count of businesses, not of jobs: most US businesses are small ones.
What people here are sharing