Weaving and knitting machine operators
In the ILO's assessment few of the job's tasks can be done by generative AI, or the scores are too spread out to reach gradient 1 — generative AI does not meaningfully take over the core of the work.
Exposure is not job loss: it shows how much of the work generative AI could do today. Whether that turns into transformation, productivity gains or cuts depends on employers, regulation — and on you.
0 = today’s generative AI cannot perform any of the job’s tasks, 100 = it could do all of them fully. The pale band is the spread across tasks.
Work out your own score ↓What can you do?
The AI analysis for this occupation is still being prepared — the background process covers a few occupations every day.
Task by task
The ILO scored every task of the occupation separately, as the average of two AI models (GPT-4o and Gemini). The pale band is the range between the two models' scores, the dot the ILO's final score (for a few tasks expert review placed it outside the band).
- Setting up and operating batteries of automatic, link-type knitting machines to knit garments of specified pattern and design22
- Tending automatic looms that simultaneously weave pile yarn, filling yarn and warp yarn material to produce carpets and rugs with various coloured designs20
- Examining looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks or mechanical defects20
- Operating and monitoring large automatic multi-needle machines to embroider material or to sew lengths of several layers of material to make yard goods, quilts or mattress coverings18
- Operating and monitoring loom on which yarn or twist is intersected and knotted at regular intervals to form mesh17
- Tending circular knitting machines with automatic pattern controls that knit seamless hose17
- Operating and monitoring knitting machines to knit hosiery to shape of foot and leg17
- Operating and monitoring machine which seams openings in toes of socks16
- Operating and monitoring machine for knitting heel and toes of socks into ribs or tops cut from circular fabric16
- Operating and monitoring crochet machine to knit lace, trimming etc. of desired pattern or design16
- Threading yarn, thread and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting or other processing13
- Repairing or replacing worn or defective needles and other components13
- Cleaning, oiling, and lubricating machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oil cans, and/or grease guns.12
How much does it affect you?
Every job is different: mark which of these tasks you do and how much, and we'll compute your own, time-weighted score.
For each task: I don't do it · sometimes · most of my job.
- Setting up and operating batteries of automatic, link-type knitting machines to knit garments of specified pattern and design(22)
- Tending automatic looms that simultaneously weave pile yarn, filling yarn and warp yarn material to produce carpets and rugs with various coloured designs(20)
- Examining looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks or mechanical defects(20)
- Operating and monitoring large automatic multi-needle machines to embroider material or to sew lengths of several layers of material to make yard goods, quilts or mattress coverings(18)
- Operating and monitoring loom on which yarn or twist is intersected and knotted at regular intervals to form mesh(17)
- Tending circular knitting machines with automatic pattern controls that knit seamless hose(17)
- Operating and monitoring knitting machines to knit hosiery to shape of foot and leg(17)
- Operating and monitoring machine which seams openings in toes of socks(16)
- Operating and monitoring machine for knitting heel and toes of socks into ribs or tops cut from circular fabric(16)
- Operating and monitoring crochet machine to knit lace, trimming etc. of desired pattern or design(16)
- Threading yarn, thread and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting or other processing(13)
- Repairing or replacing worn or defective needles and other components(13)
- Cleaning, oiling, and lubricating machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oil cans, and/or grease guns.(12)
You are exactly at the occupation average. (The occupation's score: 16.)
About 0% of your working time goes to highly exposed tasks (score ≥ 50).
- • Setting up and operating batteries of automatic, link-type knitting machines to knit garments of specified pattern and design
- • Tending automatic looms that simultaneously weave pile yarn, filling yarn and warp yarn material to produce carpets and rugs with various coloured designs
- • Cleaning, oiling, and lubricating machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oil cans, and/or grease guns.
- • Repairing or replacing worn or defective needles and other components
An estimate from the ILO task scores. Everything is computed in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.
How many people work in this occupational group?
Share of the Stationary plant and machine operators group in total employment, by country (Eurostat, ISCO 2-digit — 4-digit breakdowns are not public by country).
Table view
| Country | Stationary plant and machine operators |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 3.9% · 114 thousand · 2025 |
| Hungary | 3.7% · 171 thousand · 2025 |
| Romania | 3.3% · 254 thousand · 2025 |
| Slovenia | 3.3% · 33 thousand · 2025 |
| Czechia | 3.2% · 167 thousand · 2025 |
| Slovakia | 3.1% · 81 thousand · 2025 |
| Portugal | 3.0% · 159 thousand · 2025 |
| Estonia | 2.8% · 19 thousand · 2025 |
| Croatia | 2.8% · 47 thousand · 2025 |
| Poland | 2.7% · 462 thousand · 2025 |
| Italy | 2.6% · 620 thousand · 2025 |
| Finland | 2.3% · 59 thousand · 2025 |
| France | 2.0% · 594 thousand · 2025 |
| Norway | 2.0% · 58 thousand · 2025 |
| Spain | 1.9% · 427 thousand · 2025 |
| Germany | 1.9% · 784 thousand · 2025 |
| Belgium | 1.8% · 93 thousand · 2025 |
| Lithuania | 1.7% · 26 thousand · 2025 |
| Denmark | 1.5% · 46 thousand · 2025 |
| Greece | 1.5% · 64 thousand · 2025 |
| Latvia | 1.4% · 12 thousand · 2025 |
| Switzerland | 1.3% · 61 thousand · 2025 |
| Ireland | 1.2% · 34 thousand · 2025 |
| Austria | 1.2% · 55 thousand · 2025 |
| Sweden | 1.1% · 59 thousand · 2025 |
| Cyprus | 1.0% · 5 thousand · 2025 |
| United Kingdom | 0.8% · 288 thousand · 2025 |
| Malta | 0.8% · 3 thousand · 2025 |
| Iceland | 0.8% · 2 thousand · 2025 |
| Netherlands | 0.6% · 63 thousand · 2025 |
What do they earn?
Mean gross monthly earnings in the major occupational group (Plant and machine operators and assemblers). Eurostat's earnings survey only publishes pay by occupation at 1 digit, so this is the job's broader group. Enterprises with 10+ employees, 2022.
By country, at purchasing power parity (PPS/month), so countries with different price levels can be compared.
- Switzerland3,902
- Denmark3,581
- Norway3,391
- Iceland3,272
- Ireland3,013
- Belgium3,003
- Luxembourg2,848
- Finland2,711
- Austria2,708
- Netherlands2,689
- Germany2,646
- Sweden2,578
- Italy2,397
- EU272,188
- Spain2,169
- France2,125
- Slovenia1,961
- Poland1,931
- Lithuania1,895
- Cyprus1,832
- Malta1,828
- Greece1,726
- Estonia1,653
- Romania1,652
- Hungary1,630
- Croatia1,623
- Czechia1,621
- Latvia1,590
- Slovakia1,571
- Portugal1,289
- Bulgaria1,106
Source: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey (earn_ses22_21), every four years. The United Kingdom is not covered by the survey.
Outlook to 2035
Employment in the Stationary plant and machine operators group according to Cedefop's 2026 forecast.
thousand · Cedefop Skills Forecast 2026 · 2026–2035: projection
Replacement demand is the jobs left by people retiring or changing careers — even a shrinking occupation can have many openings.
Related occupations
- Bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators21
- Shoemaking and related machine operators16
- Laundry machine operators16
- Textile, fur and leather products machine operators not elsewhere classified16
- Fibre preparing, spinning and winding machine operators15
- Sewing machine operators15
- Fur and leather preparing machine operators15
Sources: ILO WP140 (2025) · Eurostat lfsa_egai2d · Cedefop Skills Forecast 2026 · WEF Future of Jobs 2025 · ESCO. The exposure score measures how much of an occupation's tasks generative AI could perform — not whether the job disappears. For information only, not career advice. How do we calculate this?