Fifteen of the 20 occupations most exposed to AI automation are dominated by women, according to an analysis of data from Jobs and Skills Australia. The finding undercuts the assumption that female-concentrated care work is largely shielded from AI: clerical and administrative jobs, a segment that is more than 70% female and provides nearly one in five jobs for women in the Australian workforce, carry the highest automation exposure scores.
The agency's automation exposure score measures how much of each occupation's tasks could be performed by AI technologies. Clerical and administrative roles rank among the highest, consistent with economists' expectations that AI is well suited to take over repetitive, routine tasks.
Which jobs are most at risk
Of the 20 most exposed occupations, 15 are female-dominated. Five are highly female-dominated, meaning at least 80% of workers are women. Secretaries, receptionists, bookkeepers, and accounting, human resources and payroll clerks all appear on the list.
Only one occupation in the top 20 is moderately male-dominated: financial dealers. The remaining four are gender-balanced.
The pattern reverses for jobs least exposed to automation. Seventeen of the 20 most sheltered occupations are male-dominated. Just three female-concentrated jobs make that list.
Vacancy data shows early signs
Job vacancy figures suggest the shift is already showing up in the economy. Vacancies for many highly exposed roles have fallen over the past three years, at a faster rate than the wider workforce.
For personal assistants and bookkeepers, vacancies in June 2026 were about 22% lower than a year earlier. General clerk openings were down about 9%. Total vacancies across the workforce fell only 1.7% over the same period.
Occupations less exposed to AI tell a different story. Concreter vacancies rose 5.5%, and electrician vacancies were up 14.3%. These hands-on trades still require human judgment and dexterity for unpredictable, site-specific conditions.
Why a gender lens matters
The federal government already requires gender analysis for all new policy proposals. The authors of the analysis argue the same requirement should apply to decisions made by the newly announced Office of AI.
Without that lens, gender patterns in AI's impact could go unnoticed. Detecting the higher risk to heavily female clerical roles early makes it possible to recognize transferable skills and match workers to new opportunities, including emerging AI-related jobs and human-centered roles that require critical judgment.
Why this matters for HR professionals
The data gives HR teams a concrete starting point for workforce planning. Roles like HR and payroll clerks carry high automation exposure scores, which means reskilling and redeployment should be part of the conversation now, not after displacement starts.
HR professionals tracking automation risk can find practical guidance in resources on AI for Human Resources. HR managers who want to build the skills to evaluate automation risk and plan workforce transitions can work through an AI Learning Path for HR Managers.
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