Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (LECO)

Welding equipment and consumables maker. Read October 19, 2026 from the annual report for the period ending December 31, 2025, filed February 25, 2026. Ranked 67 of the 175 Industrials companies read so far, by the share within reach now.

Lincoln Electric states approximately 12,000 persons employed worldwide at December 31, 2025 with nothing by segment, status or country, so one pattern takes the whole workforce at the machinery group that holds welding and soldering equipment by description (c).

The figures on this page come from the company's own annual report and from BLS staffing patterns for its industries, never from a roster. They are estimates with a stated method. Nothing here says what the company will do: within reach is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.

What follows from the reading

Share of working time within reach of AI, on the long-run pace at four in five: 19% now, 30% at the end of 2027, 36% at the end of 2028, 38% at the end of 2030. By the patterns, the work is about 38% desk work, 16% people work and 47% body work. These are the site's industry estimates weighted by the shares below: estimates with a stated method and range, not a forecast of what the company will do. By the same patterns, at the end of 2028 about 62% of the working time stays with people (conversation, in-person and hands-on work), 30% becomes checking a model's work and 5% could be handed over with lighter checks, from the industries' own figures, not the company's roles.

Headcount

12,000 employees as of December 31, 2025 (stated). The filing counts no employees by country; U.S. revenue is 62%.

The filing: “The number of persons employed by the Company worldwide at December 31, 2025 was approximately 12,000.”

The workforce as industry patterns

What the filing says about the workforce: The human capital section states the total and its engagement, development, compensation (base pay below market, incentive pay above) and safety programs; nothing by status, kind of work or country.

Companies read with the same leading pattern

Other companies whose largest staffing pattern is also Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only), largest first, each read from its own annual report. Within reach now and at the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.

• Caterpillar Inc. (CAT, 118,000 employees)18% now, 37% by 2028
• Deere & Company (DE, 73,100 employees)20% now, 37% by 2028
• Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH, 59,850 employees)18% now, 38% by 2028
• Carrier Global Corporation (CARR, 47,000 employees)19% now, 36% by 2028
• Trane Technologies plc (TT, 44,000 employees)18% now, 33% by 2028
• Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (SWK, 43,500 employees)19% now, 34% by 2028
• Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW, 43,000 employees)19% now, 37% by 2028
• Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT, 36,500 employees)19% now, 36% by 2028

What the filing says about AI

10 sentences in the filing name AI. The filing names AI as a source of cybersecurity risk, says the company may be incorporating AI technologies into its products, services and processes, and lists the risks of generative AI in internal processes and offerings.

• “In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence ("AI") technologies may increase our cybersecurity risks and the cybersecurity risks of our third-party business partners.”
• “Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our business strategy, results of operations and financial condition. ​ We may be incorporating AI technologies into our products, services and processes.”
• “The introduction of AI and machine-learning technologies, particularly generative AI, into internal processes, third-party services and/or new and existing offerings may result in new or expanded risks and liabilities due to enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, compliance issues, ethical concerns, confidentiality or security risks, as well as other factors that could advers...”
• “In addition, our personnel could, unbeknownst to us, improperly utilize AI and machine-learning technology while carrying out their responsibilities.”
• “The use of AI in third-party services and the development of our products and services could also cause loss of intellectual property, as well as subject us to risks related to intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, data privacy and cybersecurity.”

Its annual reports, year by year

Sentences naming AI in each annual report, counted by one rule, beside the median report in the Index that year. Each count links its filing. Every company, by year and sector

• Fiscal 20210median 0
• Fiscal 20220median 0
• Fiscal 20230median 1
• Fiscal 20245median 4
• Fiscal 202510median 10

Headcount by filing year

As reported in each year's annual report, with the filing. A year marked not read had no figure the reading could take from the report's text.

Limits of this reading

• The collector's pick is marked weak; the human capital section states the same approximately 12,000.
• No count by segment or kind of work: the one pattern is by description (c).
• The U.S. share is not stated.

Source: the company's annual report on EDGAR, accession 0000059527-26-000006, the filing. Read by Claude Fable 5.1 under rubric version 1, by the method. A company can write to info@stratussc.com to have its reading checked against its filing.