# Construction Laborers

> Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

- **SOC code:** 47-2061.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2061-00
- **Also known as:** Construction Laborer, Construction Worker, Equipment Operator (EO), Post Framer, Bituminous Asphalt Technician, Drop Crew Laborer, Form Setter, Scaffolding Operator
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
- Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
- Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
- Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
- Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
- Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
- Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
- Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
- Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Static Strength _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Windows _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Depth Perception _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Autodesk Revit _(Specialized Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Autodesk Revit _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 4th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 4th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 14th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 5th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 75th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 7.3% growth (Growing fast); 129.4k annual openings; 1,457k → 1,563.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $46,730; 1,057,660 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2061-00_