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A new report from Statistics Canada, The changing nature of work in Canada: 1987 to 2024, says just 40 per cent of jobs are not highly susceptible to disruption by artificial intelligence (AI). It also confirms earlier research into employment trends: Jobs associated with non-routine, cognitive tasks have increased gradually over time, while those associated with routine, manual tasks declined.
Since 2022, however, AI has also become widely available. “Unlike automation and earlier forms of technology, AI has the potential to alter the jobs held by highly skilled workers,” they write. They add that jobs in business and finance are less likely to be complementary with AI and, as a result, may end up competing with it. Those roles identified as being highly complementary with AI, “and thus may benefit from AI,” include doctors, nurses, teachers and electrical engineers.Â
AI adoption has been low in CanadaÂ
To date, however, they note that AI adoption and implementation has been low in Canada – just 6.1 per cent of businesses report using AI in the production of goods or delivery of services, according to research conducted in the second quarter of 2024.
The nature of work changed gradually with the number of men employed in managerial, professional and technical occupations increasing from 23.5 per cent in 1987 to 29.6 per cent in 2019. The number of women in the same positions increased from 23.7 per cent to 33.3 per cent over the same period.
Managerial, professional and technical occupationsÂ
From 2019 to 2022, the movement towards managerial, professional and technical occupations accelerated 3.3 per cent for men and 3.4 per cent for women. “The downward trend in production, craft, repair and operative occupations also accelerated during this time,” they stated. “From 2022 to 2024, further significant increases in the share of managerial, professional and technical jobs were registered by men (1.4 percentage points) and women (2.6 per centage points),” as were further declines in the share of production, craft, repair and operative jobs.”Â
In summary, they say recent trends have followed long-term trends away from routine work and manual work in favour of non-routine, cognitive occupations. “Although AI may be expected to curb employment growth in certain non-routine, cognitive occupations, there is no evidence to date of a slowdown in the growth of this broad class of occupations, possibly because of the relatively low adoption of AI by Canadian businesses.”Â