Mixed signals

Tailor

3.6K UK workers · typical pay £30,000 · entry route GCSEs grades 4-9 (A*-C). Projected growth of +7% to 2035.

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

Thin signal. Only 14% 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.

52%

Augmentation

AI mostly assists

5.9×

Time compression

~2h → ~21min

2.63/5

AI autonomy

how hands-off it runs

48%

Automation

of measured usage

How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes

task iteration 43.9%directive 30.8%feedback loop 16.5%learning 6.1%unclassified 2%validation 0.7%

What people make with AI here

advice / recommendation18%explanation / answer18%document / report16%

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)

3.6K

Median pay

£30.0K

Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement

AI exposure

3 / 10

Elasticity

7.5 / 10

2035 outlook

+7%

Exposure · 3/10

Why AI can do the work

Tailoring is a highly physical craft requiring manual dexterity for sewing, cutting, and fitting garments to unique human bodies in person. While AI can assist with digital pattern design and business administration, the core value of bespoke tailoring lies in tactile skill and real-time interpersonal communication which cannot be automated.

Elasticity · 7.5/10

Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Lower costs shift tailoring from a luxury niche to a mass-market alternative for fast fashion, unlocking massive latent demand for custom-fit and repaired clothing.

Trajectory to 2035

Headcount grows +7%, a Jevons-pattern curve.

Adoption scenario

×1.00 · Consensus

Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.

Headcount projection · 2024 → 2035

Baseline 3.6K workers (2024) · % change vs baseline

Peak 2035 +7%2035 +7%

Peak headcount

2035

+7% vs 2024

2035 endpoint

+7%

3.9K workers

Time to −10%

–

Never crosses in model

Total wage pool

£0.1B

pay × jobs

Where this role lives

UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 5413.

No regional breakdown available: SOC below ONS reporting thresholds.

Gender split

Majority-female role (100.0% women).

7.0K women · 100%0 men · 0%