Automation in Canada
Français • April 1, 2021
Our leaders need to be ready.
Automation-enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics will cause swift changes in the skills many industries need. In Canada, one in five employees are already in an occupation at high risk of automation, where transitioning into a lower-risk occupation would require significant retraining.
To design targeted responses to automation, Canadian leaders need a detailed understanding of their region’s occupational composition and demographic makeup. We’ve created the Automation Vulnerability Index for this reason.
Key Findings
- Some occupations are more susceptible to automation than others. This means certain workers, employers, and industries will face greater difficulty adapting than others.
- Automation will likely most affect regions with manufacturing legacies and tourism-based economies. Workforces in Atlantic and Western Canada are also particularly vulnerable.
- No region is immune from the impact of automation technologies. But smaller regions with less-diverse economies are likely to be affected more than the larger regions.
- Policy-makers must target the causes of vulnerability in their region. Policies may include a combination of upskilling, economic diversification, and immigration.
Our research on automation in Canada
- Assessing Abbotsford-Mission’s Vulnerability to Automation
- Assessing Lethbridge’s Vulnerability to Automation
- Assessing Saint John’s Vulnerability to Automation
- Assessing Trois-Rivières’ Vulnerability to Automation
- Assessing Windsor’s Vulnerability to Automation
- Automation Vulnerability Index Map
- Responding to Automation: How adaptable is Canada’s labour market
- Preparing Canada’s Economies for Automation
