Decatur, IL · POP 99,300 · EMP 45,550 · DATA GRADE B

Decatur, IL

44.6 /100

consensus exposure · range [43.2–45.8] across 6 methodologies

#357 of 393

more exposed than 9% of US metros

By methodology

IndexExposure
OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024)44.0
Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023)43.2
Microsoft AI applicability (2025)45.3
Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026)44.7
Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024)45.8
Consensus (mean)44.6

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

46.6

payroll-weighted exposure — higher than the headcount number: the exposed jobs are the better-paid ones

17.6%

of workers are in occupations where ≥50% of tasks are LLM-exposed (Eloundou β; threshold-sensitive — note)

81%

of area employment matched to scored occupations (grade B)

Scenario: if replacement-level AI arrives in 2030

2027 2035

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

OccupationJobsMedian wageExposure [range]
Cashiers 1,210 $31,320
54.8
Retail Salespersons 950 $33,650
67
General and Operations Managers 950 $96,120
56.5
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 500 $45,890
89.8
Office Clerks, General 540 $44,040
82.2
Registered Nurses 790 $87,170
48.9
Customer Service Representatives 420 $40,190
91.1
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1,060 $50,040
31.5
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 590 $46,360
50.8
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 550 $48,480
54

Table 2. Ranked by exposure × local employment. Bands on the 0–100 occupation scale.

Compare Decatur against any other metro — side by side.