AI exposure Construction and extraction
Will AI replace paperhangers?
Paperhangers. US occupation 47-2142.
The reading
0.0%
of the time paperhangers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of paperhangers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for paperhangersWhat paperhangers no longer do alone
O*NET lists 19 tasks for paperhangers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
19 of the 19 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.Core task
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.Core task
- Apply adhesives to the backs of paper strips, using brushes, or dunk strips of prepasted wallcovering in water, wiping off any excess adhesive.
- Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces.
- Apply thinned glue to waterproof porous surfaces, using brushes, rollers, or pasting machines.
- Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.
Show the other 13
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
- Fill holes, cracks, and other surface imperfections preparatory to covering surfaces.
- Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines.
- Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors.
- Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed.
- Mix paste, using paste powder and water, and brush paste onto surfaces.
- Remove old paper, using water, steam machines, or solvents and scrapers.
- Remove paint, varnish, dirt, and grease from surfaces, using paint remover and water soda solutions.
- Set up equipment, such as pasteboards and scaffolds.
- Smooth rough spots on walls and ceilings, using sandpaper.
- Staple or tack advertising posters onto fences, walls, billboards, or poles.
- Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.
- Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
How that compares
Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, paperhangers rank 38. 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%.
Level with 0.0%
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.