Technological advancements have been changing and restructuring lives throughout the course of human history. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are estimated to be the driving force behind the demand for more than 34,000 high-quality jobs over the next five years in Canada. With nearly 2,000 Canadians currently involved in fatal accidents each year, global emission levels that are failing to drop fast enough, and the challenges that many experience with mobility and access, the first fully autonomous vehicles — that is, requiring no human interaction — are expected to hit our streets by 2022.

Needless to say, autonomous vehicles are primed to be one of the most anticipated innovations of our time. This report provides a synopsis of the impending impacts that autonomous road-based passenger vehicles will have on Canada’s economy and the job market. It synthesizes data on in-demand occupations, employment rates, and wages, and it incorporates perspectives from interviews and advisory groups with leaders and experts in the field.