Drastic Drop in Female UK Tech Workers

New data from the ONS shows a sharp decline of female UK tech workers in the second quarter of the year. This has happened despite the overall growth of the UK tech industry during the same time period. The industry in itself saw an increase of 85,000 workers, while the number of women tech professionals dropped by 3,000.

This drastic drop of female tech workers raises serious questions. There are questions about the challenges women face in the industry, what factors are contributing to underrepresentation, and the fact that the tech sector still has a lot of work to do implementing measures to increase representation, particularly in the context of a clearly booming tech industry.

“Tech companies should continue to focus on tackling the barriers for women entering the tech field and showcase the steps they are taking to prove their commitment and heighten the attractiveness of the field,” said Senna Baille, director of community at VeUP.

“A career in tech means that not every day is the same, presenting new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow. Tech companies should mirror this, and in turn cultivate an all-encompassing culture that encourages development and inclusiveness, bettering attitudes across the board.”

The number of women in tech has fluctuated in the past year. It reached a low of 447,000 in Q1 of 2022 and reached a high of 532,000 in Q3 of 2022. This current decline of 3,000 female tech workers followed a 17,000 reduction of women in the tech sector between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of this year.

Gender disparity in the UK industry can be witnessed at a much broader scale, not just in employment statistics. A report from the British Business Bank shows that funding share for all-female founded startup teams has not progressed at all in the last decade.

Data from the rest of Europe show similar statistics. A McKinsey Digital study found that the percentage of women in tech roles across Europe is showing signs of declining by 21% by 2027.

Not only that, but the report also predicts that the problem of gender inequality in the tech sector will get worse due to the fact that the number of women graduating from higher education in STEM disciplines is declining.

What are your thoughts on this? And what can be done to attract and retain more female tech workers? Let me know in the comments

To read more on this subject: Layoffs Disproportionately Impact Female Tech Workers, Data Finds