95.7% of US firms that used AI said it did not change their total number of employees, in a Census survey collected from 17 November 2025 to 8 February 2026. 2.3% said AI raised employment and 2.0% said it lowered it.
| Group | AI-using firms |
|---|---|
| No change | 95.7% |
| Increased | 2.3% |
| Decreased | 2% |
In plain words
Almost every US firm that uses AI says its headcount did not change because of it. So far AI mostly changes tasks, not the number of staff.
of AI-using firms: no change in total employment
said AI decreased their employment
used AI to supplement or enhance an employee's task
Why you can trust it. Official Census survey of US employer firms, pooled over 12 weeks. Firms report their own view of AI's effect; it is not a payroll count.
Source: US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, Nov 2025-Feb 2026
Before and now
Census ran its first AI supplement.
Second AI supplement collected; released 18 Jun 2026.
Census has not announced a third AI supplement.
Compare
USA Nov 2025-Feb 2026
LatestAI-using firms reporting no change
-4.0 ptsAI-using firms reporting no change
-1.4 ptsAI-using firms reporting no change
+1.7 ptsCompare yourself with the published data for firms your size.
of US firms with 1 to 4 employees used AI in a business function in the last two weeks, close to the 24.6% national rate (small firms, USA). All firms: 24.6%.
Most firms your size have not started either, so an early start is still an edge.
US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, Oct 2026
Who it is for
See what firms that use AI report about headcount.
Most report no change; look at your sector row.
Plan AI as a tool for staff, the way most adopters use it.
43.7% use AI to support staff tasks.
Track job effects with official data, not headlines.
Compare with the Stanford payroll study for young workers.
Who it affects
The same 95.7% means something different for each group.
The most AI-heavy sector also reports the most headcount change.
Stanford payroll data: ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed jobs are 19% behind peers (June 2026).
15.0% of AI-using firms trained current staff; 1.3% hired AI-trained staff.
Gains and risks
Numbers from studies and surveys, each with its source.
of AI-using firms used AI to supplement or enhance an employee's task.US Census Bureau, BTOS AI supplement
of AI-using firms said AI increased their total employment.US Census Bureau, BTOS AI supplement
of AI-using firms used AI to perform a task an employee used to do.US Census Bureau, BTOS AI supplement
of AI-using firms said AI decreased their total employment.US Census Bureau, BTOS AI supplement
Where it shows
70.9% of firms where AI did employee tasks said it was "a small number" of tasks.
64.3% of AI-using firms made no changes to use AI; 15.4% built new workflows.
The future
Forecasts below are made by others and linked to where they were published. Our own reading of the data is marked as ours.
Firms expecting no noticeable AI effect on staffing in the next 12 months
By Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (district survey, May 2026), 16 Jul 2026
Respondents expecting AI to decrease their organization's headcount next year
By McKinsey (global survey, 2026), 25 Aug 2026
Next data
Census has not announced the next AI supplement. We re-check this page when the BTOS supplement tables change.
US Census Bureau, every two weeks
The data
As published by US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, Nov 2025-Feb 2026. Standard errors are shown where the source gives them.
| Effect of AI on total employment (AI-using firms) | Share |
|---|---|
| No change | 95.7% |
| Increased | 2.3% |
| Decreased | 2.0% |
| Information sector: no change | 91.7% |
| Professional services: no change | 94.3% |
| Retail: no change | 95.4% |
| Construction: no change | 97.4% |
Headlines often quote company announcements or forecasts. This number is what firms report about the past six months.
Firm counts and worker counts differ: a few large firms cutting staff can matter for many workers while most firms report no change.
Method and use
QID 6 "In the last six months, how did the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) affect this business's total employment?" National: Increased 2.30%, Decreased 2.00%, No change 95.70%
No changes recorded yet. First checked at the source on 23 Oct 2026.
APA
MLA
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Keep the source link under the chart. The chart updates when the number does.
FAQ
Mostly not yet. 95.7% of US firms that used AI said it did not change their total employment (Census, Nov 2025 to Feb 2026); 2.0% said it reduced it.
Most use it to help staff: 43.7% of AI-using firms used it to supplement an employee's task, and 10.1% used it to do a task an employee used to do.
Early evidence says yes in exposed jobs. Stanford payroll research finds workers aged 22-25 in the most AI-exposed jobs are about 19% behind peers (June 2026), mostly through less hiring.
The US Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey AI supplement, collected 17 Nov 2025 to 8 Feb 2026 and released 18 Jun 2026.
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