{
    "question": "How many people use AI at work?",
    "answer": "40.5% of employed US adults aged 18 to 64 used generative AI for their job in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Real-Time Population Survey (Bick, Blandin and Deming) published on the St. Louis Fed's FRED. That is up from 33.3% in Q3 2024 but below 45.2% in Q2 2026, the highest wave so far. Narrower questions give lower shares: 25% in the Fed's SHED (Oct 2025).",
    "period": "Q3 2026",
    "key_numbers": [
        {
            "value": "40.5%",
            "label": "Employed US adults aged 18 to 64 using generative AI for their job",
            "note": "Real-Time Population Survey, Q3 2026"
        },
        {
            "value": "About 41%",
            "label": "US workforce using generative AI for work",
            "note": "Fed FEDS Note, RPS data, Nov 2025",
            "stat": "ai/us-workforce-genai-for-work"
        },
        {
            "value": "38%",
            "label": "Employed US adults using AI chatbots for tasks at work",
            "note": "Pew Research Center, Feb 2026",
            "stat": "ai/us-workers-use-chatbots-for-work"
        },
        {
            "value": "25%",
            "label": "US workers who used generative AI at work in the prior month",
            "note": "Fed SHED, Oct 2025",
            "stat": "ai/us-workers-genai-at-work-prior-month"
        },
        {
            "value": "81%",
            "label": "Of those users who agree it saves them time",
            "note": "Fed SHED, Oct 2025",
            "stat": "ai/genai-users-say-it-saves-time"
        }
    ],
    "tables": [
        {
            "id": "by-survey",
            "title": "Share of US workers using AI for work, by survey",
            "columns": [
                "Survey",
                "Who is counted",
                "Period",
                "Using AI for work"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "Real-Time Population Survey (Bick, Blandin and Deming)",
                    "Employed US adults 18 to 64 who use generative AI for their job",
                    "Q3 2026",
                    "40.5%"
                ],
                [
                    "Federal Reserve FEDS Note (same survey)",
                    "US workforce with work-related generative AI use",
                    "Nov 2025",
                    "About 41%"
                ],
                [
                    "Pew Research Center",
                    "Employed US adults who use AI chatbots for tasks at work",
                    "Feb 2026",
                    "38%"
                ],
                [
                    "Federal Reserve SHED",
                    "US workers who used generative AI at work in the prior month",
                    "Oct 2025",
                    "25%"
                ],
                [
                    "Real-Time Population Survey, daily use",
                    "US workforce using generative AI for work daily in the last week",
                    "Nov 2025",
                    "12%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "survey-rps",
                "survey-fed-note",
                "survey-pew",
                "survey-shed",
                "survey-rps-daily"
            ],
            "note": "Each row is the publisher's own figure. The surveys ask different questions of different groups, so the rows are not a ranking. The Fed note's table gives 40.7% for any work use in November 2025."
        },
        {
            "id": "by-industry",
            "title": "Workers using generative AI for work, by industry (RPS, Nov 2025)",
            "columns": [
                "Industry",
                "Using generative AI for work"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "Information",
                    "70%"
                ],
                [
                    "Financial",
                    "63%"
                ],
                [
                    "Professional services",
                    "62%"
                ],
                [
                    "Real estate and rental and leasing",
                    "58%"
                ],
                [
                    "Wholesale trade",
                    "48%"
                ],
                [
                    "Accommodation and food services",
                    "21%"
                ],
                [
                    "All workers",
                    "About 41%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "industry-information",
                "industry-financial",
                "industry-professional",
                "industry-real-estate",
                "industry-wholesale",
                "industry-accommodation",
                "industry-all"
            ],
            "note": "Federal Reserve FEDS Note of 3 Apr 2026, citing the latest Real-Time Population Survey rates; the latest survey in the note is November 2025. Manufacturing had the fastest growth in the year, about 58% (14.5 points), but the note gives no level.",
            "source": "fed-board"
        },
        {
            "id": "by-occupation",
            "title": "Workers using generative AI for work: highest and lowest occupations (Aug 2025 - May 2026)",
            "columns": [
                "Occupation",
                "Using generative AI for work"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "Computer and information research scientists",
                    "87.3%"
                ],
                [
                    "Information security analysts",
                    "85.4%"
                ],
                [
                    "Network and computer systems administrators",
                    "82.4%"
                ],
                [
                    "Medical secretaries and administrative assistants",
                    "16.8%"
                ],
                [
                    "Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses",
                    "10.4%"
                ],
                [
                    "Receptionists and information clerks",
                    "7.6%"
                ],
                [
                    "Animal caretakers",
                    "5.3%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "job-research-scientists",
                "job-security-analysts",
                "job-network-admins",
                "job-medical-secretaries",
                "job-lpn",
                "job-receptionists",
                "job-animal-caretakers"
            ],
            "note": "St. Louis Fed, On the Economy, 1 Sep 2026 (Bick, Blandin, Deming and Schumacher): nearly 14,000 workers across four quarterly Real-Time Population Survey waves. The authors expected medical secretaries to adopt at about 61% from their tasks; actual use is 16.8%.",
            "source": "rps-genai"
        },
        {
            "id": "by-group-shed",
            "title": "US workers using generative AI at work and their views, by education and age (Oct 2025)",
            "columns": [
                "Group",
                "Used generative AI at work in prior month",
                "Employer encourages AI",
                "AI will improve my career",
                "Worried AI will replace my job"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "High school degree or less",
                    "10%",
                    "8%",
                    "12%",
                    "17%"
                ],
                [
                    "Some college or technical degree",
                    "17%",
                    "12%",
                    "17%",
                    "21%"
                ],
                [
                    "Associate degree",
                    "20%",
                    "14%",
                    "18%",
                    "21%"
                ],
                [
                    "Bachelor's degree",
                    "34%",
                    "27%",
                    "25%",
                    "23%"
                ],
                [
                    "Graduate degree",
                    "43%",
                    "31%",
                    "29%",
                    "20%"
                ],
                [
                    "Ages 18 to 29",
                    "20%",
                    "16%",
                    "19%",
                    "23%"
                ],
                [
                    "Ages 30 to 44",
                    "31%",
                    "24%",
                    "24%",
                    "24%"
                ],
                [
                    "Ages 45 to 59",
                    "28%",
                    "20%",
                    "21%",
                    "18%"
                ],
                [
                    "Ages 60 and older",
                    "13%",
                    "11%",
                    "12%",
                    "14%"
                ],
                [
                    "Workers with a disability",
                    "19%",
                    "15%",
                    "18%",
                    "24%"
                ],
                [
                    "Workers without a disability",
                    "25%",
                    "19%",
                    "20%",
                    "20%"
                ],
                [
                    "All workers",
                    "25%",
                    "19%",
                    "20%",
                    "20%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "shed-high-school",
                "shed-some-college",
                "shed-associate",
                "shed-bachelor",
                "shed-graduate",
                "shed-18-29",
                "shed-30-44",
                "shed-45-59",
                "shed-60-plus",
                "shed-disability",
                "shed-no-disability",
                "shed-all"
            ],
            "note": "Federal Reserve, Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2025 (SHED fielded October 2025), Table 5. All columns are shares of all workers; the last three count users and non-users together.",
            "source": "fed-board"
        },
        {
            "id": "by-age-pew",
            "title": "Employed US adults using AI chatbots for work, by age (Feb 2026)",
            "columns": [
                "Age",
                "Use AI chatbots for tasks at work"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "18 to 29",
                    "41%"
                ],
                [
                    "30 to 49",
                    "43%"
                ],
                [
                    "50 to 64",
                    "29%"
                ],
                [
                    "65 and older",
                    "18%"
                ],
                [
                    "All employed adults",
                    "38%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "pew-18-29",
                "pew-30-49",
                "pew-50-64",
                "pew-65-plus",
                "pew-all"
            ],
            "note": "Pew Research Center, 5,119 US adults, 17-23 Feb 2026; employed adults only.",
            "source": "pew"
        },
        {
            "id": "benefits",
            "title": "What generative AI does for workers who use it",
            "columns": [
                "Measure",
                "Result",
                "Study"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "Users who agree generative AI saves them time",
                    "81%",
                    "Fed SHED, Oct 2025"
                ],
                [
                    "Users who agree it enables new tasks",
                    "55%",
                    "Fed SHED, Oct 2025"
                ],
                [
                    "Users who agree it improves the quality of their work",
                    "52%",
                    "Fed SHED, Oct 2025"
                ],
                [
                    "All workers who agree it saves time, users or not",
                    "44%",
                    "Fed SHED, Oct 2025"
                ],
                [
                    "Issues resolved per hour by support agents with an AI assistant",
                    "+14%",
                    "NBER w31161, 2020-2021 data"
                ],
                [
                    "Same, novice and low-skilled agents",
                    "+34%",
                    "NBER w31161, 2020-2021 data"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "benefit-saves-time",
                "benefit-new-tasks",
                "benefit-quality",
                "benefit-all-workers",
                "nber-all",
                "nber-novice"
            ],
            "note": "The SHED shares are what workers say. The NBER figures are measured output of 5,179 support agents at one software firm, most of them outside the US."
        },
        {
            "id": "history",
            "title": "Employed US adults using generative AI for their job, every survey wave",
            "columns": [
                "Survey wave",
                "Using generative AI for work"
            ],
            "rows": [
                [
                    "Q3 2024",
                    "33.3%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q4 2024",
                    "31.0%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q1 2025",
                    "32.7%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q2 2025",
                    "35.1%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q3 2025",
                    "37.4%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q4 2025",
                    "40.6%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q1 2026",
                    "42.8%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q2 2026",
                    "45.2%"
                ],
                [
                    "Q3 2026",
                    "40.5%"
                ]
            ],
            "row_ids": [
                "h-2024-q3",
                "h-2024-q4",
                "h-2025-q1",
                "h-2025-q2",
                "h-2025-q3",
                "h-2025-q4",
                "h-2026-q1",
                "h-2026-q2",
                "h-2026-q3"
            ],
            "note": "FRED series RPSGENAIUSAGESHAREWORK (Real-Time Population Survey, employed adults 18 to 64), rounded to one decimal, with FRED's quarter labels; last updated 20 Oct 2026. The St. Louis Fed post of 1 Sep 2026 gives 33% in August 2024 and 45% in May 2026, and the Fed FEDS Note gives 40.7% for November 2025. FRED and the survey's authors give no reason for the fall in Q3 2026.",
            "source": "rps-genai"
        }
    ],
    "sources": [
        {
            "name": "Real-Time Population Survey: Generative AI Adoption Tracker (FRED)",
            "publisher": "Bick, Blandin and Deming, via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)",
            "type": "survey",
            "url": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/"
        },
        {
            "name": "Federal Reserve Board publications (SHED report, FEDS Notes, speeches)",
            "publisher": "Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System",
            "type": "official",
            "url": "https://www.federalreserve.gov/"
        },
        {
            "name": "Pew Research Center",
            "publisher": "Pew Research Center",
            "type": "survey",
            "url": "https://www.pewresearch.org/"
        },
        {
            "name": "NBER working papers",
            "publisher": "National Bureau of Economic Research",
            "type": "study",
            "url": "https://www.nber.org/"
        }
    ],
    "content_changed_on": "2026-10-30",
    "page_url": "https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai/ai-use-at-work",
    "csv_url": "https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ai/ai-use-at-work.csv"
}