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Bracing for Automation: What Are Canada’s Most Vulnerable Jobs?

Rapid technological change makes it more critical than ever that Canadian leaders understand how the adoption of new technologies impacts Canada’s labour markets. This briefing looks at which occupations have a higher risk of significant transformation and offer few options for workers to transition into lower-risk occupations.

Industrial laboror using a panel

Highlights

  • Nearly one in five Canadian employees are in occupations at high risk of automation with few or no options to transition into lower-risk occupations without significant retraining.
  • The top five industries in which these occupations are most concentrated are accommodation and food services, manufacturing, retail trade, construction, and health care and social assistance
  • Based on total number of people employed, the top five occupations of this type in Canada are food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related; cashiers; administrative assistants; general office support workers; and cooks.
  • Indigenous people, women, young people, and visible minorities are disproportionately represented in most of the top occupations.

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