Pinehurst-Southern Pines

The Pinehurst-Southern Pines metropolitan area receives an AI displacement risk score of 68 out of 100, placing it at rank #271 among 393 US metros. This is close to the national metro average of 70, placing the area in the middle of the risk spectrum. An estimated 11,370 workers — 28.4% of the workforce — hold positions in occupations highly susceptible to automation.

The primary driver of risk in Pinehurst-Southern Pines is the concentration of employment in Retail, an industry where routine tasks, data processing, and customer interactions are increasingly being handled by AI systems. Among the most at-risk occupations in the area are Cashiers, Retail Salespersons, Waiters and Waitresses, and Fast Food and Counter Workers — roles where advances in natural language processing, computer vision, and robotic process automation are already reducing demand. The metro's heavy service sector concentration (35.5% vs 31.3% nationally) amplifies vulnerability, as customer-facing and back-office roles are prime targets for AI automation.

Below-average wages ($54K vs $60K nationally) may slow automation adoption due to lower ROI on AI investment, but also leave workers with fewer resources for career transitions. Workers in this metro should consider developing complementary AI skills, exploring transition paths to lower-risk occupations, and leveraging local workforce development resources.