The forecast for R&D intensive activities in the US indicates a steady growth in total hours worked from 2024 to 2028. Starting from 6.4 billion hours in 2024, the increase is projected at a consistent year-on-year growth rate of approximately 0.625%, culminating in 6.57 billion hours by 2028. This reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 0.625% over the five-year forecast. The value in 2023 should be considered as part of historical data but is not provided here for comparison.

Future trends to watch for include:

The impact of automation and AI, potentially reducing human labor requirements in R&D.
Increases in R&D budgets could lead to proportional increases in hours worked.
Policy changes affecting R&D incentives and labor regulations.