Do employers read cover letters?

Some do and some do not. There is no reliable percentage that applies across employers, roles, and hiring stages. A recruiter may skim the resume first, while a hiring manager reads the letter only for shortlisted candidates. Treat the posting and the value you can add as the decision criteria.

Required: Submit a tailored letter that follows the stated instructions. Optional: Submit one when it adds evidence or context that the resume cannot show clearly. Not requested: Use judgment. A letter can help for a thoughtful career transition, a strong employer-specific reason, or a role where written communication matters. Explicitly excluded: Do not add one through another field or send it separately. An optional letter is most useful when you can explain a real connection between the employer's needs and your experience. It may also clarify a relocation, career change, employment gap, or unusual career path without turning the resume into a personal narrative. Skip the letter when the application does not accept one, the employer says not to send one, or you would only repeat the resume in generic language. A rushed letter with the wrong company name or unsupported praise can weaken an otherwise careful application. Open with the role and a specific reason for fit. Use one or two examples that answer important requirements, then close concisely. The goal is not to prove that every employer reads cover letters. It is to make yours useful if the right decision-maker does.

Review what to put in a cover letter before deciding whether you have enough specific material to submit one.