The projected growth in total hours worked in high- and medium-high R&D intensive activities in Canada shows a steady increase from 2024 onwards, reaching 2.16 billion hours by 2028. This represents a modest year-on-year increase, starting at a growth of 0.48% in 2025, and stabilizing around 0.47% in 2028. Notably, this projection follows an uninterrupted upward trend, marking a reliable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 0.48% from 2024 to 2028. In 2023, the actual total hours stood at 2.1 billion, marking the baseline for these forecasts.
Future trends to watch include potential adjustments due to technological advancements, shifts in labor markets, and economic policies that may impact R&D activity levels. Additionally, monitoring changes in global trade relations and investments in innovation sectors could provide further insights into the sustainability of these trends.
