95% of employers hire candidates with generative AI courses, says Coursera

Coursera, the world's largest distance learning platform, has just launched its Microcredentials Impact Report 2025, based on two global surveys conducted between December 2024 and January 2025, gathering insights from more than 1,000 employers and 1,200 students in ten countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Turkey. 

The report finds that 94% of Brazilian employers are willing to offer higher starting salaries to candidates with these certifications—one of the highest percentages in the world. Among those who have already hired candidates with microcredentials, 98% reported real savings in training costs in the first year, with the majority reporting reductions of up to 20%.

In Brazil, UX Design has emerged as a high-demand skill—just behind GenAI and Cybersecurity. Furthermore, 100% of the employers surveyed are already using or exploring competency-based hiring, with many highlighting the need for robust accreditation frameworks to ensure consistent quality.

“With virtually all Brazilian employers now prioritizing GenAI and microcredentials in hiring decisions, the shift to competency-based hiring is no longer a trend—it’s a reality, with microcredentials influencing hiring decisions, employability outcomes, and workplace productivity,” said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. “With this growing momentum around competency-based education, students and employers are signaling that universities must accelerate the integration of industry-aligned microcredentials to ensure students graduate prepared for the demands of the modern workforce.”

Check out other insights from Brazil in the 2025 Microcredentials Report below:

– 95% of Brazilian employers say that microcredentials strengthen a professional’s candidacy.

– 97% of employers hired at least one professional with a microcredential in the last year.

– 98% of employers saved on training costs for entry-level hires with relevant micro-credentials, with most reporting savings of up to 20%.

– Top 3 most sought-after courses on Coursera by Brazilians:  Google Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing & E-Commerce, IBM Professional Certificate in Data Engineering and DeepLearning.AI Generative AI Skills Certificate for Software Development.