diff --git a/cv-engine/src/App.tsx b/cv-engine/src/App.tsx
index f485b54..fed8c1d 100644
--- a/cv-engine/src/App.tsx
+++ b/cv-engine/src/App.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@ import SkillsEditor from './editors/SkillsEditor';
 import SummaryEditor from './editors/SummaryEditor';
 import PreviewPanel from './components/PreviewPanel';
 import { useActiveStep } from './store/cvStore';
+import { useLocalAutosave } from './hooks/useLocalAutosave';
+import AutosaveStatus from './components/AutosaveStatus';
 
 const App: React.FC = () => {
   const activeStep = useActiveStep();
+  useLocalAutosave('cv-engine:draft', 800);
   
   // Render the appropriate editor based on the active step
   const renderEditor = () => {
@@ -35,7 +38,10 @@ const App: React.FC = () => {
     <div className="min-h-screen bg-gray-50">
       <header className="bg-white shadow-sm">
         <div className="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 py-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8">
-          <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">CV Engine</h1>
+          <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
+            <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">CV Engine</h1>
+            <AutosaveStatus />
+          </div>
         </div>
       </header>
       
diff --git a/cv-engine/src/components/AutosaveStatus.tsx b/cv-engine/src/components/AutosaveStatus.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13d1195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cv-engine/src/components/AutosaveStatus.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { useSaveStatus, useLastSaved, useSaveError } from '../store/cvStore';
+
+interface AutosaveStatusProps {
+  className?: string;
+}
+
+const AutosaveStatus: React.FC<AutosaveStatusProps> = ({ className = '' }) => {
+  const status = useSaveStatus();
+  const lastSaved = useLastSaved();
+  const error = useSaveError();
+
+  let text = '';
+  if (status === 'saving') text = 'Saving…';
+  if (status === 'saved') text = `Saved ${lastSaved ? new Intl.DateTimeFormat(undefined, { hour: '2-digit', minute: '2-digit' }).format(lastSaved) : ''}`;
+  if (status === 'error') text = `Save error${error ? `: ${error}` : ''}`;
+  if (status === 'idle') text = 'All changes up to date';
+
+  const color = status === 'error' ? 'text-red-600' : status === 'saving' ? 'text-gray-600' : 'text-green-600';
+
+  return (
+    <div className={`text-sm ${color} ${className}`} aria-live="polite" role="status">
+      {text}
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default AutosaveStatus;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cv-engine/src/hooks/useLocalAutosave.ts b/cv-engine/src/hooks/useLocalAutosave.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72a224d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cv-engine/src/hooks/useLocalAutosave.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useCvStore } from '../store/cvStore';
+import { validateCV } from '../schema/cvSchema';
+
+export function useLocalAutosave(storageKey = 'cv-engine:draft', debounceMs = 800) {
+  const cv = useCvStore(s => s.cv);
+  const isDirty = useCvStore(s => s.isDirty);
+  const hydrate = useCvStore(s => s.hydrate);
+  const setSaveStatus = useCvStore(s => s.setSaveStatus);
+  const setSaveError = useCvStore(s => s.setSaveError);
+  const markSaved = useCvStore(s => s.markSaved);
+
+  const timerRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+
+  // Load draft on mount
+  useEffect(() => {
+    try {
+      const raw = localStorage.getItem(storageKey);
+      const rawLastSaved = localStorage.getItem(`${storageKey}:lastSaved`);
+      if (raw) {
+        const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+        const result = validateCV(parsed);
+        if (result.success) {
+          const last = rawLastSaved ? new Date(rawLastSaved) : null;
+          hydrate(result.data, last ?? null);
+          setSaveStatus('saved');
+        } else {
+          setSaveError('Found invalid draft in storage; ignoring.');
+          setSaveStatus('error');
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (e: any) {
+      setSaveError('Failed to load draft from storage.');
+      setSaveStatus('error');
+    }
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [storageKey]);
+
+  // Debounced autosave when dirty
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isDirty) return;
+    setSaveStatus('saving');
+    if (timerRef.current) {
+      window.clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
+    }
+    timerRef.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      try {
+        const json = JSON.stringify(cv);
+        localStorage.setItem(storageKey, json);
+        const nowIso = new Date().toISOString();
+        localStorage.setItem(`${storageKey}:lastSaved`, nowIso);
+        markSaved(new Date(nowIso));
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        setSaveError(e?.message || 'Failed to save to storage.');
+        setSaveStatus('error');
+      }
+    }, debounceMs);
+
+    return () => {
+      if (timerRef.current) {
+        window.clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
+        timerRef.current = null;
+      }
+    };
+  }, [cv, isDirty, storageKey, debounceMs, setSaveStatus, setSaveError, markSaved]);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cv-engine/src/store/cvStore.ts b/cv-engine/src/store/cvStore.ts
index 1fa8771..ccc6fb7 100644
--- a/cv-engine/src/store/cvStore.ts
+++ b/cv-engine/src/store/cvStore.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ interface CvState {
   activeStep: EditorStep;
   isDirty: boolean;
   lastSaved: Date | null;
+  saveStatus: 'idle' | 'saving' | 'saved' | 'error';
+  saveError: string | null;
   errors: Record<string, string[]>;
   
   // Actions
   setCv: (cv: z.infer<typeof CvSchema>) => void;
+  hydrate: (cv: z.infer<typeof CvSchema>, lastSaved?: Date | null) => void;
   updatePersonal: (personal: z.infer<typeof CvSchema>['personal']) => void;
   updateWork: (work: z.infer<typeof CvSchema>['work']) => void;
   updateEducation: (education: z.infer<typeof CvSchema>['education']) => void;
@@ -50,6 +53,9 @@ interface CvState {
   // State management
   setDirty: (isDirty: boolean) => void;
   setLastSaved: (date: Date | null) => void;
+  setSaveStatus: (status: CvState['saveStatus']) => void;
+  setSaveError: (error: string | null) => void;
+  markSaved: (date?: Date) => void;
   validateActiveSection: () => boolean;
   resetErrors: () => void;
 }
@@ -61,10 +67,14 @@ export const useCvStore = create<CvState>((set, get) => ({
   activeStep: 'personal',
   isDirty: false,
   lastSaved: null,
+  saveStatus: 'idle',
+  saveError: null,
   errors: {},
   
   // Actions
   setCv: (cv) => set({ cv, isDirty: true }),
+
+  hydrate: (cv, lastSaved) => set({ cv, isDirty: false, lastSaved: lastSaved ?? null }),
   
   updatePersonal: (personal) => {
     const result = validateSection('personal', personal);
@@ -274,6 +284,9 @@ export const useCvStore = create<CvState>((set, get) => ({
   // State management
   setDirty: (isDirty) => set({ isDirty }),
   setLastSaved: (lastSaved) => set({ lastSaved }),
+  setSaveStatus: (saveStatus) => set({ saveStatus }),
+  setSaveError: (saveError) => set({ saveError }),
+  markSaved: (date) => set({ lastSaved: date ?? new Date(), isDirty: false, saveStatus: 'saved', saveError: null }),
   
   validateActiveSection: () => {
     const { activeStep, cv } = get();
@@ -366,4 +379,6 @@ export const useSummaryJson = () => useCvStore(state => state.cv.summaryJson);
 export const useTemplateId = () => useCvStore(state => state.cv.templateId);
 export const useActiveStep = () => useCvStore(state => state.activeStep);
 export const useIsDirty = () => useCvStore(state => state.isDirty);
-export const useLastSaved = () => useCvStore(state => state.lastSaved);
\ No newline at end of file
+export const useLastSaved = () => useCvStore(state => state.lastSaved);
+export const useSaveStatus = () => useCvStore(state => state.saveStatus);
+export const useSaveError = () => useCvStore(state => state.saveError);
\ No newline at end of file