Artificial intelligence has become an easy target as hiring slows and job seekers face a more competitive market, but new research suggests the technology is not the primary reason for today’s employment challenges.
As covered in a Baltimore Banner article, a collaborative study led by researchers at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business analyzed 155 million US job postings between 2018 and 2025 and found no evidence that AI is reducing overall labor market demand. Instead, researchers point to a combination of economic factors, including companies scaling back after pandemic-era hiring, higher interest rates, tariffs, and a generally slower hiring environment, as the main drivers behind today’s tighter job market.
While researchers found no evidence of widespread AI-driven job losses, they did find that AI is changing the skills employers are looking for. Researchers found that employers are increasingly seeking candidates with AI skills, particularly in entry-level positions.
From the Baltimore Banner article:
More than 1% of jobs required technical AI skills at the end of 2025, up from less than a quarter of a percent when OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched in late 2022.
Rather than replacing workers across the board, AI is reshaping job requirements and increasing the value of AI literacy and productivity skills.
