Updated October 6, 2026. The figures in this article are from the March 2026 survey. Statistics Canada added workplace AI questions to the March 2026 Labour Force Survey. Among workers aged 15 to 69 living in the provinces, 35.9% said they had used generative AI in their main job or business during the previous 12 months. This was a sample survey, not a census of everyone in Canada. Statistics Canada’s release explains the population and its limits.
Most users applied the tools to only part of their work. Among people who had used generative AI at work in the past year, 63.5% used it for some, but not most, tasks. Another 24.9% used it for almost no tasks; 8.0% used it for most tasks and 3.6% for almost all tasks. Daily use accounted for 31.4% of users, while 38.3% used the tools a few times a week. The survey asked about task share and frequency separately, so these figures describe different aspects of use. The March questionnaire shows the questions asked.
Use also varied by occupation and industry. It was reported by 75.1% of workers in legislative and senior management occupations and 67.5% in natural and applied sciences, compared with 14.7% in trades, transport and equipment operations and 17.0% in natural resources, agriculture and related occupations. By industry, reported use was 65.6% in professional, scientific and technical services; 59.2% in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; 53.0% in educational services; and 16.3% in accommodation and food services. The industry table provides the underlying estimates. These differences show variation; they do not establish that one particular task characteristic caused it.
Workers who had not used generative AI in their main job or business represented 64.1% of the surveyed group. Among non-users, 56.0% said the tools did not apply to their work, 21.6% reported no interest, and 9.8% cited security, privacy, environmental or ethical concerns. Lack of skills or knowledge was selected by 5.8%, while 5.0% cited company or organizational policy. These are reported reasons, not objective ratings of workers’ abilities. Federal public servants can consult the Government of Canada’s guidance for generative AI at work, which discusses protecting sensitive information and checking outputs. It applies to federal government work and is not a uniform rule for every Canadian employer.
The dates and survey methods matter. A separate Statistics Canada study used the Canadian Survey on Working Conditions from September 2024 to July 2025. Its design differs from the March 2026 Labour Force Survey supplement, so the results should not be joined into one continuous trend. Statistics Canada’s September 2026 questionnaire again includes workplace generative AI questions; this article reports the published March results and does not predict the later findings. For practical next steps, see our Canadian job-search websites guide or our overview of the Canadian AI transparency consultation.
The March survey excludes people living in the territories, on reserves or in institutions, as well as full-time members of the regular Armed Forces. Estimates come from a sample and are subject to sampling variability. Statistics Canada’s occupational exposure and complementarity groups describe the potential for AI to transform tasks; they are not forecasts of job losses. Actual effects depend on economic, institutional and technological choices. A separate 2024–2025 workplace study uses a different period and survey, which is another reason to keep the evidence distinct. No affiliate links are included.