Female-dominated careers among most exposed to AI disruption

"Brookings' analysis of a study for the National Bureau of Economic Research, released this week, argues that while many previous assessments have focused on how "exposed" different occupations are to AI, they often overlook what it calls "a critical dimension: workers' ability to adapt if job loss does occur." That ability to adapt was based on more obvious factors, such as age and financial security, as well as other issues such as union membership, geography, and the state of local labor markets."

"Once these factors were taken into consideration, the researchers concluded that "Of the 37.1 million U.S. workers in the top quartile of occupational AI exposure, 26.5 million also have above-median adaptive capacity." So, lawyers, software developers, and financial managers were all in "exposed" roles, but also had "strong pay, financial buffers, diverse skills, and deep professional networks." They were well-placed to weather any AI-induced storms."

"Butchers were rated amongst the least adaptable, but also amongst the least exposed to the impact of AI. But, the researchers found, there are roughly 6.1 million workers who "face both high exposure to LLMs and low adaptive capacity to manage a job transition." "Many of these workers occupy administrative and clerical jobs where savings are modest, workers' skill transferability is limited, and reemployment prospects are narrower.""

Most U.S. workers in occupations exposed to AI have above-median adaptive capacity after accounting for age, financial security, union membership, geography, and local labor markets. Of 37.1 million U.S. workers in the top quartile of occupational AI exposure, 26.5 million also have above-median adaptive capacity. Lawyers, software developers, and financial managers pair high exposure with strong pay, savings, transferable skills, and networks that support transitions. Some roles like dentistry, firefighting, medicine, and flight attendants show lower exposure and higher adaptivity; butchers rank low on both. About 6.1 million workers face high exposure to LLMs and low adaptive capacity, concentrated in administrative and clerical jobs with modest savings and limited reemployment prospects.

Read at Theregister