Emergency responders and skilled trades among safest jobs from automation, study finds
The Planera study examined more than 55 manual and physical occupations across sectors including construction, healthcare, logistics and services.
Emergency medical technicians are the least likely workers to be replaced by automation, according to new research from Planera.
The April 2026 study examined more than 55 manual and physical occupations across sectors including construction, healthcare, logistics and services.
It found that while some industries face high automation risk – such as agriculture (89%), construction (38%) and general healthcare (16%) – certain roles remain highly resistant due to their reliance on human judgement and interpersonal skills.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) ranked as the most automation-protected role, with just a 7% risk.
Emergency services roles more broadly performed strongly.
Firefighters (9% risk) and police officers (13%) were also among the least likely to be automated, reflecting the importance of situational awareness and critical decision-making in unpredictable environments.
Healthcare and social support roles also showed resilience.
Healthcare social workers (12%) and registered nurses (14%) ranked among the safest occupations, driven by the need for empathy, communication and complex human interaction.
Related
68% of UK workers use AI tools at work, research finds
95% of restaurant managers say AI rota scheduling is effective, study finds
Over half of UK employers holding off on AI in recruitment, report reveals
Cutting graduate roles risks future leadership pipeline, report finds
UK AI roles offer salaries of up to £325,000, research reveals
Children more likely than adults to embrace robots in the workplace, study finds
Ankura launches ‘AI by Design’ to support workplace AI adoption
du partners with Sapia.ai to introduce AI-powered recruitment
Businesses need stronger AI governance and staff training, says Skillsoft
93% of employers plan to improve financial wellbeing engagement, study finds
Four in 10 workers risk health because they cannot afford time off, study finds
