Springfield

๐Ÿ“ IllinoisยทPop. 218,553ยท102,720 employedยทRanked #293 of 393 metros
67

High Risk

AI Risk Score

โš ๏ธ

67/100

#293 of 393 ยท -3 vs avg

Workers Vulnerable

๐ŸŽฏ

30,140

29.3% of workforce

Average Wage

๐Ÿ’ฐ

$66K

+$6K vs national

Tech Employment

๐Ÿ’ป

3.0%

National avg: 2.0%

Service Employment

๐Ÿช

31.2%

National avg: 31.3%

WARN Notices (2025)

๐Ÿ“‹

0

Layoff filings

๐Ÿ’ก Springfield has an AI risk score of 67/100 with 29.3% of workers in vulnerable roles โ€” led by Retail. Average wages of $66K are above the national metro average. See Illinois overview โ†’

AI Risk Analysis

The Springfield metropolitan area receives an AI displacement risk score of 67 out of 100, placing it at rank #293 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 30,140 workers โ€” 29.3% of the workforce โ€” hold positions in occupations highly susceptible to automation.

The primary driver of risk in Springfield 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 Office Clerks, General, Retail Salespersons, Cashiers, and Fast Food and Counter Workers โ€” roles where advances in natural language processing, computer vision, and robotic process automation are already reducing demand.

Higher-than-average wages ($66K vs $60K nationally) may provide workers more resources to invest in reskilling, but also create stronger economic incentives for employers to automate. Workers in this metro should consider developing complementary AI skills, exploring transition paths to lower-risk occupations, and leveraging local workforce development resources.

Automation Vulnerability

30,140

workers at risk (29.3%)

0%29.3%33%+

Top At-Risk Occupations

* Estimated local employment based on metro's share of national workforce. Actual distribution may vary.

Industry Breakdown

Top at-risk industry: Retail

Tech Sector3.0%

National avg: 2.0%

Service Sector31.2%

National avg: 31.3%

โš ๏ธ Retail Trade โ€” Highest Risk Industry

National risk score: 56/100 ยท 26,703,360 employed nationally ยท Projected -2.1% job decline ยท Advanced AI adoption stage

Comparison to National Average

Risk Score

-3

vs 70 national avg

Average Wage

+$6K

vs $60K national avg

Vulnerable Workers

-0.2%

vs 29.5% national avg

National Economic Context

Latest national labor market indicators from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Unemployment Rate

4.4%

2026-02

Labor Participation

62%

2026-02

Weekly UI Claims

214,000,000

2026-02

Job Openings

6.9M

2026-01

๐Ÿ“Š Methodology

Metro area AI risk scores are calculated using a composite model that weighs multiple factors: occupational automation probability (based on Frey & Osborne methodology and updated GenAI exposure scores), industry concentration risk, local employment mix, wage levels, and historical WARN Act layoff notices.

Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) and represent relative vulnerability compared to other US metro areas. Individual occupation risk scores within the metro are estimated by applying the metro's employment share to national occupation-level data. Data sources include BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Census Bureau population estimates, and state WARN Act filings.