AI exposure Construction and extraction
Will AI replace construction laborers?
Construction Laborers. US occupation 47-2061.
The reading
2.8%
of the time construction laborers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of construction laborers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 304 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 59% of them.Further along than 59% of them.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.
What AI already does for construction laborersWhat construction laborers no longer do alone
O*NET lists 27 tasks for construction laborers. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.
- Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.Core task mostly automated 0.95
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
26 of the 27 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.Core task
- Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.Core task
- Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.Core task
- Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.Core task
- Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.Core task
- Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.Core task
Show the other 20
- Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.Core task
- Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
- Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
- Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
- Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines.
- Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
- Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
- Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
- Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
- Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
- Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
- Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
- Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
- Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
- Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
- Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
- Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
- Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
- Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
- Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.
How that compares
Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, construction laborers rank 5. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 299Patternmakers, Wood 3.0%
- 299Physicians, All Other 3.0%
- 299Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers 3.0%
Just below
What this does and does not mean
Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.
A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.
Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.