Updated · Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · Jul 16
St. Louis Fed Finds 49% of Firms See No AI Staffing Impact as Early Adoption Lifts Efficiency
Updated
Updated · Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · Jul 16
St. Louis Fed Finds 49% of Firms See No AI Staffing Impact as Early Adoption Lifts Efficiency
1 articles · Updated · Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · Jul 16
Summary
49% of Eighth District firms expect no noticeable AI-driven staffing change in the next 12 months, while 18% foresee skill shifts and nearly 20% anticipate slight staff reductions.
34% said AI is used regularly by a small share of employees, 25% are still testing it, and 11% reported no adoption—showing most firms remain in early or limited rollout stages.
AI users reported efficiency gains mainly from cutting administrative and routine work; examples included 35% revenue growth without added staff, 15% higher revenue per employee, and two to three hours saved weekly per attorney.
38% of nonadopters cited missing skills, data or technical infrastructure, while 34% said current tools do not yet fit business needs; some also flagged budget limits, training gaps and AI-control risks.
The St. Louis Fed said the survey suggests AI is so far helping firms expand output with existing workers across the Eighth District rather than broadly eliminating jobs.