Post by FBK-IRVAPP - The Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies | Bruno Kessler Foundation

Alessio Tomelleri recently presented a paper co-authored with Giorgio Cutuli e Paolo Barbieri (CSIS - Center for Social Inequality Studies (Trento) at the ECSR Annual Conference 2026 in Dublin. The paper entitled “Do Digital Skills Pay? Hiring Chances, Wage Offers, and Contractual Stratification: Evidence from a Factorial Survey Experiment”, investigates how recruiters evaluate candidates’ digital skills in Germany, Italy, and the UK. Using a cross-national factorial survey experiment with recruiters and HR managers, the paper examines whether digital skills affect candidates’ chances of being selected, the probability of receiving a permanent-contract offer, and wage offers conditional on selection. Results suggest that digital skills do pay — but not equally across labour markets. Advanced digital skills are consistently rewarded, while the returns to intermediate skills vary substantially across countries. The strongest digital-skill gradient emerges in the UK, both in terms of employability and wage offers, while Germany and Italy show a more selective pattern, especially when digital skills translate into permanent-contract offers. Overall, the findings point to a broader conclusion: digital skills are not only individual human capital. Their value is institutionally stratified across labour markets, contract types, and wage-setting regimes. Many thanks to the ECSR organisers for the opportunity and to the colleagues who provided valuable comments and feedback. #ECSR2026 #DigitalSkills #LabourMarkets #Hiring #Wages #SocialStratification #FactorialSurveyExperiment