Reading, PA · POP 440,072 · EMP 174,670 · DATA GRADE A

Reading, PA

45.9 /100

consensus exposure · range [45.2–46.7] across 6 methodologies

#314 of 393

more exposed than 20% of US metros

By methodology

IndexExposure
OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024)45.5
Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023)45.2
Microsoft AI applicability (2025)46.1
Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026)45.9
Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024)46.7
Consensus (mean)45.9

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

49.5

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

20.2%

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

96.1%

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]
Retail Salespersons 4,430 $33,010
67
Office Clerks, General 3,260 $46,820
82.2
General and Operations Managers 4,290 $99,920
56.5
Customer Service Representatives 2,630 $44,500
91.1
Cashiers 3,670 $29,260
54.8
Registered Nurses 3,430 $98,470
48.9
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,700 $45,500
89.8
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,660 $66,570
79.3
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 1,460 $66,130
88.3
Stockers and Order Fillers 4,190 $37,990
25.5

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

Compare Reading against any other metro — side by side.