Oregon Ranks 12th for AI Job Displacement Risk, Study Finds

Oregon's workforce vulnerability to AI

Oregon ranks 12th among U.S. states most exposed to artificial intelligence-driven job disruption, with 67,740 positions—representing 3.44% of the state's workforce—identified as highly vulnerable to automation, according to a SmartAsset analysis first reported by KOIN.

Washington leads the nation in AI exposure, with 201,650 jobs at risk, comprising 5.68% of its workforce. Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, and Utah round out the top five states facing the most significant workforce transformation.

The analysis draws on research from Virginia's Economic Information and Analytics Division, which identified occupations most susceptible to AI displacement, combined with employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine state-level concentrations.

Which jobs face the highest risk

The study identifies a broad spectrum of roles across multiple sectors. Technology positions including computer programmers, database administrators, web developers, software developers, and database architects appear prominently on the list. Administrative functions such as data entry keyers, payroll clerks, bookkeeping and accounting clerks, and office support workers also face elevated risk.

Communications and creative professionals aren't exempt—the analysis flags writers and authors, proofreaders, correspondence clerks, court reporters, media and communications workers, interpreters, and translators as vulnerable. Specialized roles including medical transcriptionists, insurance claims processors, telemarketers, telephone operators, and computer numerically controlled tool programmers complete the roster.

Mathematicians, statistical assistants, software quality assurance analysts, and web designers also appear among the occupations most likely to experience AI-driven transformation.

Why it matters

This analysis arrives as business leaders grapple with how to integrate AI capabilities while managing workforce transitions. Oregon's ranking suggests that state policymakers and employers will need to develop retraining programs and economic strategies to support workers in affected fields. The concentration of at-risk jobs in technology sectors—traditionally viewed as future-proof—challenges assumptions about which careers offer long-term stability in an AI-augmented economy.

For organizations operating in Oregon and neighboring Washington, the data underscores the urgency of workforce planning that accounts for automation's expanding reach beyond routine manual tasks into knowledge work, creative functions, and specialized technical roles.

The findings were originally reported by KOIN, drawing on SmartAsset's comprehensive state-by-state analysis of AI workforce exposure.