Las Cruces, NM · POP 229,091 · EMP 80,000 · DATA GRADE A

Las Cruces, NM

48.6 /100

consensus exposure · range [47.3–49.6] across 6 methodologies

#150 of 393

more exposed than 62% of US metros

By methodology

IndexExposure
OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024)48.3
Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023)49.6
Microsoft AI applicability (2025)47.3
Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026)49.5
Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024)48.4
Consensus (mean)48.6

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

50.9

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

23.8%

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

90.6%

of area employment matched to scored occupations (grade A)

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]
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,360 $41,030
89.8
Retail Salespersons 2,110 $30,460
67
Customer Service Representatives 1,480 $36,080
91.1
Cashiers 1,630 $28,710
54.8
Office Clerks, General 1,000 $36,810
82.2
General and Operations Managers 1,260 $85,770
56.5
Fast Food and Counter Workers 2,870 $27,560
24
Registered Nurses 1,280 $83,310
48.9
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 6,430 $27,840
8.8
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 1,020 $40,930
54

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

Compare Las Cruces against any other metro — side by side.