This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Training in AI skills improves the chances of women from underrepresented backgrounds being invited to job interviews, but not enough to eliminate the inequalities they face in the labor market, according to a new study. The research, led by professor Nick Drydakis of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and published in Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, found that AI-related qualifications improved employment prospects for women who were older, Black, lesbian or autistic, but the gains were not enough to eliminate inequalities at the recruitment stage.
The research involved more than 3,000 job applications submitted for real vacancies in London during 2025. Researchers created fictional but highly comparable female candidates applying for private-sector roles that did not require a college degree across 10 different workplace fields. The applications varied only according to race, age, sexual orientation or autism spectrum disclosure, and whether applicants highlighted a six-month AI-related professional development qualification completed through a vocational training provider.
Across all four groups, women from underrepresented backgrounds were substantially less likely to receive interview invitations than applicants who were not from underrepresented backgrounds but had equivalent qualifications. Overall, 25% of women applicants who were not from underrepresented groups and did not have AI skills referenced on their applications received an interview invitation, compared with just 11% of underrepresented applicants who did not possess AI skills. However, when underrepresented applicants signaled AI-related digital skills, their interview success rate rose to 14%, improving their prospects of gaining an interview by just under a third.
The study focused on whether AI qualifications improved outcomes for underrepresented women and did not measure whether the same qualification would provide a similar boost for majority-group applicants. The study also found evidence of "wage sorting," where underrepresented applicants were more likely to receive interview invitations for lower-paid vacancies among the jobs they applied for. Having AI-related skills improved access to better-paid vacancies, but notable gaps persisted.
The study is one of the first experiments looking at how employers respond to AI-related digital skills among underrepresented groups, extending Drydakis's AI Capital theory. "As AI becomes increasingly embedded across workplaces, there is growing interest in whether developing AI-related skills, such as training in the use of artificial intelligence tools and software in workplace settings, can help improve employment opportunities for people who traditionally face barriers in the labor market. "Our findings suggest that employers do value AI-related digital skills, such as using AI-assisted software to automate administrative tasks, analyze data or manage digital records, and that these credentials can improve interview prospects for underrepresented women.
However, the results also show that skills alone are not enough to overcome the inequalities they face. "AI training can help open doors, but it should not be viewed as a substitute for fair recruitment practices. If we want technological change to create opportunities for everyone, investment in digital skills must be matched by strong efforts to tackle discrimination and ensure qualifications are assessed consistently across all applicant groups," said Drydakis, director of the Centre for Inclusive Societies and Economies at ARU.
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