Hands-on, growing

Care worker

245.6K UK workers · typical pay £22,500 · entry route Entry Level / GCSEs grades 1-3. Projected growth of +7% to 2035.

How AI is actually used here · measured · Anthropic Economic Index

Thin signal. Only 24% of the Claude usage mapped to this job is actual work. The rest is personal or study use of the same skills. Read the figures below as indicative, not precise.

36%

Augmentation

AI mostly does the task

2.9×

Time compression

~2.4h → ~48min

2.74/5

AI autonomy

how hands-off it runs

64%

Automation

of measured usage

How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes

directive 29.9%unclassified 23%feedback loop 21.3%task iteration 14.2%learning 8.9%validation 2.6%

What people make with AI here

explanation / answer15%advice / recommendation12%document / report10%

Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →

Facts · ONS + NCS

UK workers (2024)

245.6K

Median pay

£22.5K

Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement

AI exposure

2 / 10

Elasticity

6.5 / 10

2035 outlook

+7%

Exposure · 2/10

Why AI can do the work

Care work is fundamentally physical and interpersonal, requiring manual tasks like washing, dressing, and lifting that AI cannot perform. While AI may assist with peripheral administrative tasks like updating care plans or monitoring health data, the core value of the role lies in human presence, empathy, and physical assistance in unpredictable environments.

Elasticity · 6.5/10

Gated by population

Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Massive latent demand for higher-frequency visits and 24/7 companionship currently suppressed by high hourly costs, though the total number of recipients is demographic-capped.

Trajectory to 2035