Do AI skills improve employment chances? Evidence from a field experiment

Abstract

With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), an increasing number of firms are adopting this technology, leading to a rising demand for employees with AI-related skills. Despite this, there is limited evidence on how possessing AI skills affects hiring prospects. To address this gap, we conduct a correspondence study. We send résumés – randomized to include or exclude AI skills – to 1,185 entry-level job ads in the UK, covering a variety of job functions. Overall, our findings show no evidence that including AI skills in a résumé increases the likelihood of being invited for an interview. However, we do observe a positive effect of AI skills on employer interest for positions in Engineering and Marketing. To further investigate the variation in employer responses, we analyze the job vacancy descriptions. We observe that employers value AI skills more highly for job vacancies with a narrow skill set compared to broader positions. Additionally, we test the robustness of our findings by surveying professionals with hiring experience.