Dig holes or trenches.

Dig holes or trenches. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 15 occupations and seen in 18 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Perform general construction or extraction activities. in Performing General Physical Activities .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 18 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment. · Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools. · Pipelayers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Dig postholes, using spades, posthole diggers, or power-driven augers. · Fence Erectors · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes. · Construction Laborers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service. · Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Dig trenches or holes for installation of conduit or supports. · Helpers--Electricians · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Perform physically demanding tasks, such as digging trenches to lay conduit or moving or lifting heavy objects. · Electricians · importance 3.6 · no direct exposure
• Dig trench for foundation of monument, using pick and shovel. · Stonemasons · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Dig out sewer lines manually, using shovels. · Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks. · Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure
• Dig trenches. · Helpers--Extraction Workers · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure
• Dig trenches for underground wires or cables. · Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers · importance 3.3 · no direct exposure
• Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers and cable plows. · Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers · importance 3.3 · no direct exposure
• Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches. · Geothermal Technicians · importance 3.2 · no direct exposure
• Dig or direct digging of post holes and set poles to support structures. · Carpenters · importance 3.1 · no direct exposure
• Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access. · Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers · importance 3.1 · no direct exposure
• Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks. · Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · importance 3.0 · no direct exposure
• Dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches. · Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers · importance 2.8 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
• Pipelayers
• Fence Erectors
• Construction Laborers
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Helpers--Electricians
• Electricians
• Stonemasons
• Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
• Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
• Helpers--Extraction Workers
• Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
• Geothermal Technicians
• Carpenters
• Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-dig-holes-or-trenches,
  title  = {Dig holes or trenches.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/dig-holes-or-trenches}
}