UK dataswitch to US
Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.
operating office machines, photocopiers, scanners and personal computers, loading machines with materials, blank paper or film and mounting printing plates on a press. If that's your week, this page is about your job.
The honest answer
AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: designing and producing a final layout for print or digital publications. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.
Your move: what a elementary administration occupations n.e.c. can actually do about this ↓
That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, assembling printed materials to meet client specifications, stays yours. The tools change, the responsibility doesn't.
Your week, as this page understands it
Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of elementary clerical and administrative tasks within offices not elsewhere classified in minor group: 921 Elementary administration occupations. The job title says “elementary administration occupations n.e.c.”. The real job is the part underneath: assembling printed materials to meet client specifications. That is the thing someone has to be right about.
The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But elementary administration occupations n.e.c. is not one task. It is 35 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is assembling printed materials to meet client specifications, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 19%
- changing shape
- 5%
- staying human
- 76%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 22 out of 100 (19–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 35 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.
How we know this
What is measured: Every published task statement for elementary administration occupations n.e.c. is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.
How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.
Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.
Your job, task by task
These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.
Shifting to AI
8 tasksTasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.
Designing and producing a final layout for print or digital publications
This is reading one thing and writing another: a final layout in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Design and produce a final layout for print or digital publications.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (76–90 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Design software now produces good print-ready layouts from supplied text and images, needing only light tidying by a person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Determining the project timeline, costs and required number of copies
This is reading one thing and writing another: the project timeline in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 9219/01Source: “Determine the project timeline, costs, and required number of copies.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out timings, copy numbers and costs is straightforward calculation from job details already held on file.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording job details for project documentation to support printing processes
This is reading one thing and writing another: job details in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 65 · 9219/01Source: “Record job details for project documentation to support printing processes.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Logging job details is routine record-keeping that job management systems already handle well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Ordering supplies to support reprographic services
This is reading one thing and writing another: supplies in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 60 · 9219/01Source: “Order supplies to support reprographic services.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reordering paper, toner and consumables follows predictable usage that stock systems already track and trigger.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Changing shape
2 tasksTasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.
Reading work orders to determine production specifications and information
The software now makes the first pass at work orders, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Pulling the specifications out of a work order is straightforward document reading that software handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring stock levels and ordering supplies
The software now makes the first pass at stock levels, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 60 · 9219/01Source: “Monitor stock levels and order supplies as necessary.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reorder points and purchase orders are handled well by stock systems; only the occasional look at the shelves needs a person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Staying human
25 tasksTasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.
Operating office machines, photocopiers, scanners and personal computers
This work happens in the physical world: office machines, photocopiers, scanners and personal computers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 9219/01Source: “Operate office machines including photocopiers, scanners, and personal computers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Photocopiers and scanners need someone to load and operate the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring reprographic operations to detect malfunctions and ensure output quality
This work happens in the physical world: reprographic operations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9219/01Source: “Monitor reprographic operations to detect malfunctions and ensure output quality.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spotting jams and poor print quality means being at the machine, even though fault alerts are increasingly automatic.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Conducting quality checks on reprographic samples for accuracy and consistency
This work happens in the physical world: quality checks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9219/01Source: “Conduct quality checks on reprographic samples for accuracy and consistency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Judging whether printed samples look right means handling the actual sheets, even though the checklist behind it is simple.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assembling printed materials to meet client specifications
This work happens in the physical world: printed materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9219/01Source: “Assemble printed materials to meet client specifications.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Collating and assembling printed materials by hand is physical work at a bench, so software cannot do the job itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Show the other 25 tasks
Requisitioning necessary items for daily operations
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: necessary items in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 55 · 9219/01Source: “Requisition necessary items for daily operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Requisitioning day-to-day items is routine paperwork driven by stock levels a system already knows.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing supervisors with billing information
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: supervisors in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 9219/01Source: “Provide supervisors with billing information.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Pulling billing details out of job records and passing them to a supervisor is standard reporting work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording production and operational data
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: production in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 60 · 9219/01Source: “Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Logging output and material used is simple data entry, often captured by the machine already.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Taking customer orders to support printing services
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: customer orders in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 9219/01Source: “Take customer orders to support printing services.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Taking print orders is mostly capturing standard details, though customers often turn up at the counter to place them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Storing completed documents in appropriate locations
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: completed documents, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9219/01Source: “Store completed documents in appropriate locations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Digital filing is automatic, but paper documents still have to be carried to the right cabinet.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Programming instructions into copying, scanning and printing equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: instructions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Programme instructions into copying, scanning and printing equipment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Print settings are increasingly chosen by software presets, but someone still sets many jobs up at the device.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reporting major repair needs for machines
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: major repair needs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Report major repair needs for machines.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Knowing a machine needs major repair usually comes from being there and seeing or hearing it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Monitoring the progress of the copying run
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the progress of the copying run, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Monitor the progress of the copying run.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Print management software already reports run progress, but someone is usually stood by the machine watching for jams.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Making adjustments as necessary to ensure proper operation
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: adjustments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Make adjustments as necessary to ensure proper operation.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 16 out of 100 (4–28 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, low confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: The wording is broad, but in this office role it means noticing something is not running right and putting it right.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Aligning printing plates correctly for optimal print quality
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: plates, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Align printing plates correctly for optimal print quality.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Getting plates in register is hands-on press work, with some fine adjustment done at the console.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing and correcting completed reprographic work for accuracy
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: completed reprographic work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Review and correct completed reprographic work for accuracy.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Comparing files is easy for software, but checking finished copies against the original means handling printed sheets.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Filling machines with toners, inks or other duplicating fluids
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9219/01Source: “Fill machines with toners, inks, or other duplicating fluids.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Refilling toner, ink or duplicating fluid means opening up the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Operating auxiliary machines like collators
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: auxiliary machines like collators, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9219/01Source: “Operate auxiliary machines like collators, pad and tablet making machines, staplers, and paper processing machines.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running collators, staplers and finishing machines is hands-on.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and maintaining reprographic equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: reprographic equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Clean and maintain reprographic equipment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and servicing copying machines is entirely hands-on work at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Feeding originals into feed rolls
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: originals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Feed originals into feed rolls.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Feeding material into rolls is manual.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Loading machines with materials, blank paper or film
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Load machines with materials such as blank paper or film.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Loading paper or film into a machine is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Mounting printing plates on a press
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: plates, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9219/01Source: “Mount printing plates on a press.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mounting plates on the press is physical work at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Carrying out minor repairs to reprographic equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: minor repairs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Carry out minor repairs to reprographic equipment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Minor repairs mean opening the machine and using tools, which software cannot do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Cleaning machines or equipment to maintain their efficiency
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Clean machines or equipment to maintain their efficiency.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning plant and equipment is manual work on the machine itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Finishing copied items
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: copied items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Finish copied items by trimming, binding or laminating.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Trimming, binding and laminating are hands-on finishing jobs done at a bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Preparing and processing papers for use in scanning
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: papers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9219/01Source: “Prepare and process papers for use in scanning, microfilming, and microfiche.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Preparing paper for scanning and microfilming means handling the documents.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and filing master copies or plates
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: master copies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Clean and file master copies or plates.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and filing master plates is physical handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Positioning originals on tables beneath camera lenses
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: originals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Position originals on tables beneath camera lenses.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Placing originals under a camera lens is purely a matter of physically positioning things.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Setting up or adjusting machine controls to regulate conditions
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: or adjusting machine controls, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9219/01Source: “Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Setting and adjusting machine controls for flow, temperature or pressure is done at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Sorting completed work
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: completed work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 9219/01Source: “Sort completed work.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Sorting finished work into piles or orders is physical handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- £26,600a year, before tax, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.ashe-t14, 2025 · ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
How we know this
Source: ashe-t14
Reference period: ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)
Rounding: Shown to the nearest £100. The exact published figure is in the downloadable dataset. We do not render pounds the survey cannot support.
- People doing this job
- 17,100in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.
Why this is shifting
The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: a final layout in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: designing and producing a final layout for print or digital publications and determining the project timeline, costs and required number of copies. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where printed materials get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.
Your move
Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend
Start with what does not change: assembling printed materials to meet client specifications is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.
So, given all that: 19% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 5% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 76% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 35 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.
So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Designing and producing a final layout for print or digital publications is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.
This week: one thing
Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to a final layout, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.
- What you end up holding
- a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
- How long it takes
- ten minutes
If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether printed materials are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no licence needed.
Over the next 90 days
Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near reading work orders to determine production specifications and information. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.
Over the next 12 months
On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.
The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them
I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.
I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to elementary administration occupations n.e.c. (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was printing machine assistants: only about 25% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 22/100 here, with only 19% of the task list in the top band, and “operate office machines including photocopiers, scanners, and personal computers” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.
How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.
3 moves I checked and rejected
These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.
Printing machine assistants
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “align printing plates correctly for optimal print quality”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 25% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: It is closer than most, and still not close enough: about 25% of that job's durable work is already yours, against the 35% I want to see before I will call something a route.
Printers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “mount printing plates on a press”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 23% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 23% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
Print finishing and binding workers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “clean machines or equipment to maintain their efficiency”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 8% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
What I’d stop worrying about
A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.
The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 19% of its task weight, across 35 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like assembling printed materials to meet client specifications arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.
You are reading the United Kingdom figures
The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Photographers is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.
Switch to the United States page →partial match
The other groups this work is counted across:
In US official statistics this job is counted as Photographers, File Clerks and Office Machine Operators, Except Computer. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.
Your route through this
Where to go next, and what it costs
Free, and complete
The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.
In England:
A free hour with a government-funded careers adviser is worth more than another evening of reading. In England that's the National Careers Service.
Free, government-funded
In England:
National Careers Service - Find a course
Search what's actually running near you before you spend anything.
Free to search; individual courses vary
In England:
Free courses for jobs (Level 3 qualifications)
A free Level 3 qualification you already qualify for beats a paid course you don't need.
Free for eligible adults
In England:
Free, up to 16 weeks, and you get a job interview at the end. In England these are Skills Bootcamps - search what's running near you.
Free for eligible adults in England
In Scotland:
My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland)
In Scotland it's My World of Work, from Skills Development Scotland.
Free, publicly funded
In Wales:
In Wales it's Careers Wales.
Free, Welsh Government-funded
In Northern Ireland:
Careers Service Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland it's the Careers Service on nidirect.
Free, Department for the Economy-funded
No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it
Nothing Collab365 runs is built for elementary administration occupations n.e.c., and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.
There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 19% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.
7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.
The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for elementary administration occupations n.e.c.. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.
Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for elementary administration occupations n.e.c. launches. Nothing else.
That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.
We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.
No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.
Questions people ask about this job
- Will AI replace Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 35 official task statements scored for Elementary administration occupations n.e.c. (United Kingdom, SOC 9219), 19% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 22 out of 100 (range 19–28, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
- Which tasks in “Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Design and produce a final layout for print or digital publications” (83/100, very high); “Determine the project timeline, costs, and required number of copies” (75/100, high); “Record job details for project documentation to support printing processes” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
- Which tasks in “Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.” stay human?
- About 76% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Sort completed work” (0/100, minimal); “Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure” (0/100, minimal); “Position originals on tables beneath camera lenses” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
- What should someone working in “Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 19% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 76% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
- How is the AI exposure score for Elementary administration occupations n.e.c. calculated?
- Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 35 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.
Where these numbers come from
About the data on this page
- Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
- This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
- 2 tasks scored differently between repeat runs, so their range on this page is wider. We would rather show the wobble than hide it.
- One row is marked low confidence, so treat it as a ballpark rather than a fine measurement.
- The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
- 15 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
- Task statements
- gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
- Task weights
- gaisi-index (relatedness)
- Scores
- Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
- Pay and employment
- ashe-t14 (ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025))nomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))
Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.
The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.
The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.
Using these figures?
Cite this
Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.
Plain text
Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).
BibTeX
@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
title = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
author = {{Collab365}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
note = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.