A new report from construction scheduling platform Planera identifies the physical and manual occupations facing the highest risk of automation, and the findings challenge the prevailing narrative that automation is primarily a white-collar concern.
The April 2026 study analyzed over 55 manual professions across trades, production, logistics, healthcare, and service sectors. Drawing on automation risk scores, 2024 employment data, projected job change to 2034, and median annual wages, the report provides a sector-by-sector assessment of where displacement is most imminent.
Metal and plastic patternmakers top the ranking with a 99% automation risk. With only 1,570 people currently employed in the role and a projected employment decline of 24.4% by 2034, the occupation is classified as facing imminent workforce displacement. The median annual wage of $54,500 falls below the national average, limiting the financial resilience of affected workers.
Underground mining machine operators rank second at 97% risk. The sector employs just 6,130 workers in this capacity, with a further 22.3% reduction projected. The finding is consistent with a long-term trend of mechanisation across the mining industry.
Cashiers represent the most significant finding in terms of scale. Ranked fifth with an 88% automation risk, the occupation employs over 3.1 million people across the US — by far the largest workforce in the top ten. With a median annual wage of $31,100, cashiers also have the least financial buffer to absorb a career transition.
The production sector accounts for seven of the ten highest-risk occupations, including milling and planing machine operators (91%), print binding and finishing workers (86%), and sewing machine operators (85%). The concentration points to structural shifts in manufacturing that are already underway and accelerating.
According to a Planera automation expert: “The conversation about automation has been almost entirely focused on office workers and knowledge jobs, but the production floor is quietly going through an equally significant shift. Service and white-collar occupations are all comparatively likely to be displaced, yet manufacturing and production workers rarely feature in mainstream coverage.”
The report has implications for workforce policy and retraining investment. Physical and manual workers tend to earn below-average wages and have fewer resources to manage career transitions independently. Directing support primarily toward white-collar displacement may leave the most vulnerable workers underserved.
The full Planera report covers the 55 professions assessed, including which occupations proved most resistant to automation, such as roles requiring complex human judgement, physical dexterity in unpredictable environments, or interpersonal trust.
