Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)

Payroll and HR services. Read October 19, 2026 from the annual report for the period ending May 31, 2026, filed July 17, 2026. Ranked 3 of the 95 Industrials companies read so far, by the share within reach now.

17,600 employees, primarily in the U.S., at a payroll and HR services company, read as payroll services with an employment services share for the PEO business; 2.6 million worksite employees are outside the count.

The figures on this page come from the company's own annual report and from BLS staffing patterns for its industries, never from a roster. They are estimates with a stated method. Nothing here says what the company will do: within reach is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.

What follows from the reading

Share of working time within reach of AI, on the long-run pace at four in five: 31% now, 53% at the end of 2027, 65% at the end of 2028, 69% at the end of 2030. By the patterns, the work is about 69% desk work, 17% people work and 14% body work. These are the site's industry estimates weighted by the shares below: estimates with a stated method and range, not a forecast of what the company will do. By the same patterns, at the end of 2028 about 31% of the working time stays with people (conversation, in-person and hands-on work), 55% becomes checking a model's work and 9% could be handed over with lighter checks, from the industries' own figures, not the company's roles.

Headcount

17,600 employees as of May 31, 2026 (stated). The filing says employees are primarily in the U.S. and states no count by country.

The filing: “Our Employees: As of May 31, 2026, we employed approximately 17,600 people, primarily in the U.S. and on a full-time basis.”

The workforce as industry patterns

What the filing says about the workforce: About 17,600 employees, primarily in the U.S. and full-time; none covered by collective bargaining agreements; about 2.6 million worksite employees supported through HR outsourcing are outside the count (rule 8); compensation about 52% of total expenses.

Companies read with the same leading pattern

Other companies whose largest staffing pattern is also Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services, largest first, each read from its own annual report. Within reach now and at the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.

• Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP, 67,000 employees)30% now, 68% by 2028

What the filing says about AI

34 sentences in the filing name AI. The filing names AI in 34 sentences: AI-powered capabilities through its workforce intelligence engine that draw on its datasets to automate workflows and support decisions across its solutions and operations, the integration of AI into HR processes among the pressures on its customers, and risk factors on its use of AI.

• “Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to keep pace with changes in technology or provide timely enhancements to our solutions and support; risks related to our use of artificial intelligence ("AI") and new technologies in our busin...”
• “Organizations face a rapidly evolving employment landscape including an increasing number and complexity of federal, state, and local regulations; the integration of AI into HCM processes; changing workforce dynamics; increasing medical inflation; and challenges attracting and retaining talent.”
• “Key features of our solutions include: Comprehensive cloud-based HCM platforms optimized to meet customers' HR and payroll needs; AI-powered capabilities through WISE, our workforce intelligence engine, which leverages our large proprietary datasets to help automate workflows, enhance decision making, and increase productivity across our solutions and operations; Expertise in HR and payroll bac...”
• “This acquisition expanded our presence upmarket, increased cross-sale opportunities, and enhanced our suite of AI-driven HCM solutions.”
• “We believe we are well positioned to capitalize on AI opportunities through our large and growing data sets, predictive analytics and AI models, and continued investments to increase efficiency, enhance the customer experience, support better outcomes and create growth opportunities.”

Its annual reports, year by year

Sentences naming AI in each annual report, counted by one rule, beside the median report in the Index that year. Each count links its filing. Every company, by year and sector

• Fiscal 20212median 0
• Fiscal 20225median 0
• Fiscal 202318median 1
• Fiscal 202421median 4
• Fiscal 202534median 10

Headcount by filing year

As reported in each year's annual report, with the filing. A year marked not read had no figure the reading could take from the report's text.

Limits of this reading

• The filing counts no employees by segment, so the split is by segment revenue (c).

Source: the company's annual report on EDGAR, accession 0001193125-26-307785, the filing. Read by Claude Fable 5.1 under rubric version 1, by the method. A company can write to info@stratussc.com to have its reading checked against its filing.