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employabilitySerenGPT AI

Bricklayers, Nurses, Electricians: Manual Jobs Still Spared by Generative AI

An analysis by ETH Zurich’s KOF research center shows that manual occupations and jobs involving direct interpersonal contact remain the least exposed to generative AI, unlike many office-based roles.

Bricklayers, Nurses, Electricians: Manual Jobs Still Spared by Generative AI

According to Michael Siegenthaler, a professor in the Department of Management, Technology and Economics working for KOF, the ETH Zurich research center, the occupations least exposed to AI are those dominated by manual work in unstructured physical environments and direct interpersonal contact—hairdressers, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, nurses, security guards, and firefighters.

For people considering a career transition, this ranking provides a concrete reference for choosing a field. For recruiters in these sectors, it is also a stability argument to highlight in employer communications.