B

Below-Average Risk (35–42%)

Rank #827 of all employers

BLS + SEC data Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) AI-risk grade B

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/

Workforce AI-exposure profile for Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ - risk grade, employee trend, and occupation mix estimated from BLS industry-occupation distributions and SEC filings.

TDS Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) SIC 4813
AI Displacement Risk Score
42.3% B

Weighted average O*NET AI exposure score for this industry's occupation mix

Workforce Size
N/A
Not reported in XBRL filings
Industry Classification
Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone)
SIC Code: 4813
NAICS Sector: 51-telecom
The verdict

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/'s workforce carries a grade B AI-risk profile (42.3% weighted exposure), 0.4 points above the 41.9% average across 1,965 tracked employers. That is broadly in line with the 1,965-employer field.

42.3%
AI exposure
B
Risk grade
#827
of 1,965 employers

Where Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ sits among tracked employers

Weighted workforce AI-exposure across 1,965 public employers. Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ is marked in rose.

AI exposure distribution - Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ marked 38 employers at 30–33% 38 30 121 employers at 33–35% 121 33 285 employers at 35–38% 285 35 410 employers at 38–40% 410 38 308 employers at 40–43% 308 40 0 employers at 43–45% 43 403 employers at 45–48% 403 45 89 employers at 48–50% 89 48 311 employers at 50–53% 311 50 0 employers at 53–55% 53 AI exposure (%) →
Top 42% by AI exposure Higher AI exposure than 58% of all 1,965 employers.

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ has ai exposure of 42.3%. Distribution: 38 employers at 30-33%; 121 employers at 33-35%; 285 employers at 35-38%; 410 employers at 38-40%; 308 employers at 40-43%; 0 employers at 43-45%; 403 employers at 45-48%; 89 employers at 48-50%; 311 employers at 50-53%; 0 employers at 53-55%.

AI Displacement Risk Analysis

Companies in Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) face below-average AI displacement risk. Most roles require human dexterity, interpersonal skills, or on-site work that remains difficult for current AI systems.

A
B
C
D
F

Workforce Insight

As of May 2026, Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ (TDS) operates in Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) under SIC 4813, mapping to NAICS sector 51-telecom. The company carries an AI displacement risk grade of B with a weighted exposure score of 42.3%, derived from the occupation mix typical to this industry and mapped against O*NET Database 30.0 task-level automation probabilities. This positions Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ at rank #827 among all public employers tracked by PlainWorkforce.

Workforce size is not disclosed in recent SEC filings. The estimated occupation mix includes 6 distinct roles drawn from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions, with Software developers representing the largest share.

Why the Grade B signal matters

For workers and investors, this grade quantifies exposure to a specific macro force, the ongoing displacement pressure from generative AI and robotic process automation, that traditional financial disclosures do not yet capture. Grades A and B indicate workforces anchored in tasks requiring physical presence, complex judgment, or interpersonal skill; Grades D and F concentrate in clerical, administrative, and routine analytical tasks now within reach of large language models. Read this profile alongside the occupation-level task and skill breakdowns and the BLS employment projections to build a complete picture of Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/'s labor footprint.

Estimated Workforce Occupation Mix (Industry Average)

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ does not publish its own occupation breakdown, so this reflects the typical occupation mix for other employers in Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (BLS industry-occupation employment distributions), not company-specific data. AI exposure scores from O*NET Database 30.0.

Occupation Est. Workforce Share AI Exposure
Software developers
SOC 15-1252
25%
45%
Security and fire alarm systems installers
SOC 49-2098
25%
26%
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
SOC 41-1011
20%
45%
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
SOC 43-5071
15%
60%
Funeral home managers
SOC 11-9171
10%
38%
Insurance underwriters
SOC 13-2053
5%
45%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/'s AI risk grade?

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ (TDS) has an AI risk grade of B with a score of 42.3% - below-average risk (35–42%). Companies in Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) face below-average AI displacement risk. Most roles require human dexterity, interpersonal skills, or on-site work that remains difficult for current AI systems.

How is the AI risk score calculated?

The AI risk score is computed from the company's primary industry (SIC 4813: Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone)), mapped to Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment distributions. For each occupation in the industry workforce, we apply O*NET task-level AI exposure scores and compute a weighted average. A score of 0 means no AI risk; 100 means maximum exposure.

Which occupations at Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ face the most AI risk?

Based on the industry occupation mix, key roles at Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ include: Software developers (45% AI exposure), Security and fire alarm systems installers (26% AI exposure), First-line supervisors of retail sales workers (45% AI exposure). These represent the largest estimated workforce shares.

How many employees does Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ have?

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/'s employee count is not reported in its XBRL filings. Workforce size can vary, check the company's most recent annual report or SEC filings for current data.

Has Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ had layoffs?

WARN Act layoff notices and workforce reduction history for Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ are published by state labor agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor. WARN Act data covers mass layoffs affecting 100+ workers, as required by federal reporting. Not all workforce changes are captured in WARN filings.

What industry is Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ in?

Telephone & Data Systems Inc /De/ is classified under SIC code 4813 (Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone)), which maps to NAICS sector 51-telecom. Industry classification determines the occupation mix used to compute the AI displacement risk score.

AI risk scores are estimates based on industry-level occupation distributions and may not reflect individual employer hiring practices. Data sources: SEC EDGAR (company SIC codes) · O*NET Database 30.0 (AI exposure scores) · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034. This is not financial advice.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWorkforce Editorial