Irish workers say AI is increasing opportunities and competition in jobs market
The hiring software firm's survey indicated that half of Irish workers fear for their jobs amid economic uncertainty and nearly two in three are struggling to navigate the jobs market – with AI intensifying competition.
Hiring company Greenhouse conducted a survey of 2,200 candidates, including 169 Irish-based workers along with workers from the UK and the US.
73 per cent of Irish workers indicated they are using AI when looking for a new job, mainly for interview preparation (42 per cent), analysing job ads (28 per cent) and generating work samples (25 per cent).
A further 54 per cent said AI is making job hunting harder by increasing skill standards and intensifying competition, while 41 per cent said it created and helped uncover new opportunities.
The survey also indicated there is a lack of clarity on whether AI can be used when applying for jobs, with 82 per cent of workers stating that employers provided little or no guidance on using AI in interviews. A photo taken on January 2, 2025 shows the letters AI for Artificial Intelligence on a laptop screen (R) next to the logo of the Chat AI application on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Nearly half of Irish job seekers said they feel insecure in their current role, while 42 per cent said the job market is very competitive.
Chief executive of Greenhouse, Daniel Chait, said hiring is "stuck in an AI doom loop".
"As this technology advances, it makes it easier than ever to apply, flooding the system with noise," he said.
"With 25 per cent of Gen Z saying AI has made it harder for them to stand out, candidates entering the market are up against more applications, more automation, and less clarity."
The survey also indicated that 49 per cent of Irish job seekers said they had been asked inappropriate or biased questions during job application processes.
The most common of these was about health or disability status (21 per cent), parental responsibilities (20 per cent), and age (18 per cent).
A further 69 per cent said they had removed older experience from their CVs to try and avoid age-based assumptions, according to the survey.
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