Bakersfield-Delano, CA · POP 927,068 · EMP 338,230 · DATA GRADE A
Bakersfield, CA
consensus exposure · range [40.6–44.7] across 6 methodologies
more exposed than 1% of US metros
By methodology
| Index | Exposure |
|---|---|
| OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024) | 42.2 |
| Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023) | 40.6 |
| Microsoft AI applicability (2025) | 42.3 |
| Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026) | 44.7 |
| Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024) | 42.0 |
| Consensus (mean) | 42.4 |
Table 1. Where indices disagree, that disagreement is information: prediction-style indices (task ratings) and usage-based indices (observed AI conversations) measure different things. Methods §2.
Secondary measures
payroll-weighted exposure — higher than the headcount number: the exposed jobs are the better-paid ones
of workers are in occupations where ≥50% of tasks are LLM-exposed (Eloundou β; threshold-sensitive — note)
of area employment matched to scored occupations (grade A)
Scenario: if replacement-level AI arrives in 2030
Figure 1. Modeled displacement under the median preset (diffusion k=0.8, ceiling 0.75, automation share 0.45, friction lag 1.5y, attrition 3%/y). Solid: positions eliminated. The gap between gross and layoffs is natural attrition — speed of diffusion, not depth of exposure, determines layoffs. This is a scenario, not a forecast: adjust every assumption.
Where the losses land — and your assumptions
Positions eliminated by 2035 per occupation group, under the arrival year selected above. Drag any multiplier if you think we're wrong about a group — your model, your numbers. Multipliers scale that group's task exposure (×0 = immune, ×2 = double).
Table 3. Group exposure = employment-weighted mean task exposure (Eloundou β) over the group's local occupations. Bars use the same scenario engine as Figure 1 (median preset).
Most exposed local occupations
| Occupation | Jobs | Median wage | Exposure [range] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 32,500 | $34,620 | 16.7 | |
| Cashiers | 8,350 | $35,220 | 54.8 | |
| Office Clerks, General | 5,500 | $45,440 | 82.2 | |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,050 | $36,320 | 67 | |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 6,040 | $38,930 | 54 | |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 5,390 | $66,480 | 53 | |
| Registered Nurses | 5,620 | $128,810 | 48.9 | |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,540 | $79,900 | 55.6 | |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,730 | $50,960 | 89.8 | |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,100 | $104,460 | 56.5 |
Table 2. Ranked by exposure × local employment. Bands on the 0–100 occupation scale.
Compare Bakersfield against any other metro — side by side.