The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) created a map that classifies 831 professions according to their degree of exposure to artificial intelligence, cross-referencing this analysis with employment projections for 2025–2035. The data shows that one in four professions presents "very high" AI exposure, corresponding to 206 occupations. El País analysed the same data and concludes that AI threatens offices more than workshops, although the BLS points out that exposure does not equate to a prediction of job loss.
The professions least exposed to AI are largely those requiring physical work, manual skills, and on-site presence. Among the 60 construction and extraction professions analysed, 53 have low exposure and none present very high exposure. Carpenters, masons, glaziers, joiners, upholsterers, florists, garden maintenance workers, and musical instrument repairers are among the occupations with the lowest exposure. The logic is linked to the fact that tasks requiring material manipulation, motor coordination, and environmental adaptation are harder to reproduce with current AI capabilities.
At the other extreme, the very high exposure professions are associated with information processing, language, and data handling tasks. Word processors and typists lead the projected biggest declines, with a 34.4% reduction in employment, followed by telephone operators (minus 26%) and data entry operators (minus 25.5%). However, the BLS warns that very high exposure does not necessarily mean decline. Software programmers, management analysts, and computer systems managers show very high exposure but are expected to grow by 10.2%, 10.1%, and 15.8% respectively, because demand for these services is increasing.
The BLS classification divides the 831 professions into four exposure levels: low (213), moderate (206), high (206), and very high (206). The agency combined five external sources, including academic studies and observed usage data from AI tools. Across the US economy, 5.9 million jobs are projected to be created between 2025 and 2035, with total employment rising from 170.3 to 176.2 million. Health and social assistance will be among the main drivers of this growth.
