Women account for just 26% of AI hires despite surge in demand: LinkedIn

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence jobs is creating new career opportunities and higher salaries across the technology sector. Yet women remain significantly underrepresented among those securing these roles, according to new research from LinkedIn.

The professional networking platform found that women accounted for just 26% of hires into AI-related roles in the United States, despite increasing demand for workers with AI skills. The findings point to a growing imbalance at a time when AI jobs are becoming some of the fastest-growing and best-paid positions in the labour market.

The data also suggests that the benefits of the AI employment boom are not being shared evenly, raising concerns about long-term workforce participation and economic opportunity.

AI hiring surge comes with a widening gender divide

According to LinkedIn's research, AI-related job postings on its platform have more than doubled since 2023 as organisations accelerate investments in artificial intelligence technologies.

However, female representation among new hires remains well below parity.

Key findings include:

• Women accounted for 26% of hires into AI roles in the US.
• Women represented 50% of hires into non-AI positions.
• AI job postings have doubled since 2023.
• The typical AI role advertised a salary of around $177,000.
• Comparable non-AI positions offered salaries of roughly $80,000.

The figures indicate that women are participating less in a segment of the labour market associated with higher wages and faster growth.

Speaking to CBS News, Sarah Steinberg, a spokesperson for LinkedIn, said AI is creating some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs in the global economy, but women remain underrepresented among those being hired and promoted within the sector.

Leadership gap becomes more pronounced in AI

The disparity extends beyond hiring and becomes more visible at senior levels.

LinkedIn's analysis across 27 countries found that women hold just 13% of leadership positions at AI companies. By comparison, women account for 20% of leadership roles across the broader technology sector.

The findings suggest that the representation gap widens as professionals move into more senior AI positions.

According to Steinberg, representation challenges already present in technology are even more pronounced within artificial intelligence, where leadership opportunities remain concentrated among men.

Concerns over who benefits from the AI economy

The research arrives amid broader concerns about the impact of AI on employment patterns.

Data from The Brookings Institution, cited by CBS News, shows that women are disproportionately represented in occupations considered vulnerable to AI-driven disruption, particularly administrative and clerical roles.

Brookings reported that:

• Around 6.1 million workers are employed in occupations vulnerable to AI disruption and with limited opportunities for adaptation.
• 86% of those workers are women.
• Many of these roles are concentrated in customer service, clerical and administrative functions.

The combination of job displacement risks and lower representation in newly created AI positions has raised concerns among researchers and labour market observers.

Steinberg noted that women are more likely to work in roles affected by automation while also being less likely to benefit from the salary premiums attached to AI-related jobs.

Skills-first hiring seen as a possible solution

LinkedIn's research points to skills-based hiring as one potential way to broaden access to AI careers.

Rather than focusing primarily on academic credentials or previous AI-specific job experience, employers could place greater emphasis on demonstrable skills and practical capabilities.

According to Steinberg, workers can increasingly build AI expertise through online learning programmes, training courses and hands-on experience with publicly available AI tools.

The approach could help expand the pipeline of candidates entering AI-related professions and create more pathways for women seeking to move into the field.

As AI adoption accelerates across industries, workforce experts are likely to pay closer attention to who benefits from the technology's economic opportunities. The challenge for employers will be ensuring that the growth of AI jobs does not reinforce existing inequalities but instead creates broader access to emerging careers and leadership opportunities.