16 September 2026
Danish firms that start using artificial intelligence (AI) subsequently go on to hire fewer new employees than comparable firms not using AI. This is shown by a new analysis by Danmarks Nationalbank, based on unique Danish data.
“The transformation we expected from AI has begun in Denmark. We can see that firms that have adopted AI have slightly lower employment growth than comparable firms that have not,” says Governor Signe Krogstrup.
This trend can be observed at firm level, but there are no clear signs yet that employment in Denmark has been affected overall, nor are there expected to be over the next few years according to Danmarks Nationalbank.
“This suggests that anyone who would previously have been hired by firms that have started using AI have found jobs elsewhere.” We have a flexible labour market and widespread digitalisation in Denmark, and we are therefore well placed to reap the benefits of AI,” says Signe Krogstrup.
The lower employment growth in firms beginning to use AI is particularly concentrated among younger employees and employees with higher levels of education. There are no signs that wages have been affected.
“It is highly uncertain how the development of AI will affect the Danish labour market in future. A decline in employment in the long term cannot be ruled out, but AI may also support the emergence of new firms and job functions to such an extent that employment actually increases,” says Signe Krogstrup.
Danmarks Nationalbank’s new analysis is unique because it combines data on the use of AI by firms, collected by Statistics Denmark, with register data about e.g. employment and wage levels for the firms in question. Danmarks Nationalbank has therefore been able to identify patterns at the level of individual firms, which has not previously been possible in Denmark or abroad.
The new analysis can be found on Danmarks Nationalbank’s website.
Press enquiries can be directed to Communications and Press Officer Teis Hald Jensen by phone +45 2630 9653 or email tehj@nationalbanken.dk.