AI job risk in China
Across 436 occupations covering about 750,642,741 workers, China's labour market carries a moderate average exposure to generative AI of 4.5 on a 0–10 scale, weighted by how many people each occupation employs. Every score maps an occupation onto the ILO and OpenAI research indices, so a higher number means more of the role's day-to-day tasks can already be performed or assisted by AI.
The most exposed roles are Data Entry Clerk, Typist And Word Processing Operator, Accounting and Bookkeeping Clerk — jobs built around routine information work that large language models handle well. The least exposed include Craft And Related Workers Not Elsewhere Classified, Bricklayers and Related Workers, Building Construction Labourer, where physical, in-person or hands-on tasks dominate. By industry, Business, Finance & Legal, IT & Digital sit toward the top of the range. Exposure is not the same as job loss: it flags where AI is most likely to reshape tasks first, and where workers may want to build complementary skills.
20 jobs most exposed to AI in China
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Average annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data Entry Clerk | 4132 | 10/10 | ¥85,881 | 6,421,418 |
| 2 | Typist And Word Processing Operator | 4131 | 10/10 | ¥85,881 | 1,492,631 |
| 3 | Accounting and Bookkeeping Clerk | 4311 | 10/10 | ¥85,881 | 167,592 |
| 4 | Statistical, Finance and Insurance Clerk | 4312 | 10/10 | ¥85,881 | 100,636 |
| 5 | Water and Firewood Collector | 9624 | 10/10 | ¥70,234 | 33,720 |
| 6 | General Office Clerk | 4110 | 9/10 | ¥85,881 | 31,070,571 |
| 7 | Secretary (General) | 4120 | 9/10 | ¥85,881 | 3,197,272 |
| 8 | Advertising and Marketing Professional | 2431 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 2,244,744 |
| 9 | Administrative and Executive Secretary | 3343 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 1,579,707 |
| 10 | Financial Analyst | 2413 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 1,329,008 |
| 11 | Financial and Investment Adviser | 2412 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 1,274,558 |
| 12 | Contact Centre Salesperson | 5244 | 9/10 | ¥70,234 | 1,250,851 |
| 13 | Credit and Loans Officer | 3312 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 1,187,039 |
| 14 | Health Services Manager | 1342 | 9/10 | ¥189,076 | 807,204 |
| 15 | Software And Applications Developer And Analyst Not Elsewhere Classified | 2519 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 690,191 |
| 16 | Securities and Finance Dealer and Broker | 3311 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 569,116 |
| 17 | Web and Multimedia Developer | 2513 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 526,853 |
| 18 | Mathematicians, Actuaries and Statisticians | 2120 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 523,038 |
| 19 | Applications Programmer | 2514 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 505,433 |
| 20 | Database Designer and Administrator | 2521 | 9/10 | ¥133,264 | 371,510 |
20 jobs least exposed to AI in China
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Average annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craft And Related Workers Not Elsewhere Classified | 7549 | 0/10 | ¥71,147 | 168,418 |
| 2 | Bricklayers and Related Workers | 7112 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 18,416,834 |
| 3 | Building Construction Labourer | 9313 | 1/10 | ¥70,234 | 14,522,795 |
| 4 | Painter and Related Worker | 7131 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 11,258,330 |
| 5 | Butcher, Fishmonger and Related Food Preparer | 7511 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 3,510,383 |
| 6 | Spray Painter and Varnisher | 7132 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 3,400,451 |
| 7 | Sheet Metal Worker | 7213 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 3,301,283 |
| 8 | Hand Packer | 9321 | 1/10 | ¥70,234 | 2,598,762 |
| 9 | Plasterer | 7123 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 2,118,516 |
| 10 | Floor Layer and Tile Setter | 7122 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 1,697,764 |
| 11 | Rubber Products Machine Operator | 8141 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 1,539,790 |
| 12 | Manufacturing Labourer | 9329 | 1/10 | ¥70,234 | 1,337,772 |
| 13 | Lifting Truck Operator | 8344 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 1,076,661 |
| 14 | Earthmoving and Related Plant Operator | 8342 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 967,942 |
| 15 | Structural Metal Preparer and Erector | 7214 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 847,651 |
| 16 | Stonemason, Stone Cutter, Splitter and Carver | 7113 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 732,398 |
| 17 | Concrete Placer and Finisher | 7114 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 580,314 |
| 18 | Miner and Quarrier | 8111 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 516,494 |
| 19 | Glass and Ceramics Plant Operator | 8181 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 468,585 |
| 20 | Cement, Stone and Other Mineral Products Machine Operator | 8114 | 1/10 | ¥71,147 | 454,164 |
AI exposure by industry
| Industry | Occupations | Employed | Avg. exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, Finance & Legal | 54 | 77,886,095 | 9/10 |
| IT & Digital | 16 | 8,627,138 | 8/10 |
| Engineering & Infrastructure | 41 | 25,816,155 | 6/10 |
| Education & Community | 30 | 29,819,280 | 6/10 |
| Healthcare & Care | 39 | 14,729,659 | 6/10 |
| Hospitality, Retail & Tourism | 42 | 154,960,589 | 5/10 |
| Government & Public Sector | 24 | 13,832,857 | 5/10 |
| Creative, Media & Personal Services | 38 | 26,541,264 | 4/10 |
| Transport, Logistics & Mining | 30 | 58,978,261 | 4/10 |
| Agriculture & Environment | 39 | 162,402,439 | 4/10 |
| Trades & Construction | 83 | 177,049,004 | 2/10 |
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Frequently asked questions
How much AI risk do jobs in China face?
Across 436 occupations covering about 750,642,741 workers, China has an employment-weighted average generative-AI exposure of 4.5 on a 0–10 scale — a moderate level. A higher score means a larger share of a role's day-to-day tasks can already be performed or assisted by AI.
Which jobs in China are most at risk from AI?
The most exposed occupations in China are Data Entry Clerk, Typist And Word Processing Operator, Accounting and Bookkeeping Clerk, Statistical, Finance and Insurance Clerk, Water and Firewood Collector. These are roles built around routine information work — writing, data handling and analysis — that large language models already handle well.
Which jobs in China are least exposed to AI?
The least exposed occupations include Craft And Related Workers Not Elsewhere Classified, Bricklayers and Related Workers, Building Construction Labourer. Physical, hands-on and in-person tasks are much harder for current AI to automate, so these roles score low.
Does a high AI exposure score mean the job will be lost?
No. Exposure measures how much of a role's tasks AI can perform or assist with — not whether the job will disappear. A high score flags where AI is most likely to reshape tasks first, and where workers may benefit from building complementary skills.
Which industries in China are most exposed to AI?
By employment-weighted average exposure, the most exposed industries in China are Business, Finance & Legal, IT & Digital, Engineering & Infrastructure.
How is the AI exposure score calculated?
Every occupation is scored 0–10 by combining two published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's ‘GPTs are GPTs’ task-exposure study — mapped onto China's official occupation classification and ranked on a single global percentile scale so scores stay comparable between countries.
Methodology & sources
Every occupation is scored 0–10 for generative-AI exposure by combining two open, published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's GPTs are GPTs task-exposure study — mapped onto China's official occupation classification, then ranked on a single global percentile scale so the numbers stay comparable between countries. Tile area is the size of each occupation's workforce, from official statistics. Full methodology & data sources →
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