Women in UK tech sector in decline, despite workforce still expanding

Tech leaders are showing concern that economic instabilities are affecting female workers more

The number of women working in the UK tech sector has dipped between the first and second quarter or 2023, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

This comes on the heels of another drop - female tech workers declined by 17,000 between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, after peaking at 532,000 in Q3 2022.

The dip resumes a downward pattern which began during the pandemic. At the time, many women were at the front of care needs, making them unable to work as efficiently due to needing to take time off or work part-time.

Despite the fluctuating numbers, tech skills are still high in demand at all levels.

The number of people in the tech sector has gone through various spikes and troughs over this past year as from the second quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2022, the number grew by 92,000, then dropped the following quarter by 87,000, and dropped again in the first quarter of this year.

The report, however, also shows that overall, the tech workforce grew during the same period, making the gender divide even more pronounced.

The overall tech sector saw an increase of 85,000 to 1.73m, a result that has made tech leaders question whether caution over spending due to the economic climate may have disproportionately affected women in the sector.

This isn't the first time reports show women being affected more by economic challenges in the tech sector than men.

Earlier this year, another research into the tech workforce found that job losses in the UK tech sector had fallen disproportionately on women, while overall size of the UK tech workforce continued to grow, despite layoffs in the tech sector beginning in the autumn of 2022.

The number of women in the technology sector has been slowly increasing over the past decade, with current figures showing that women account for 26 per cent of workers in the tech industry.

Barriers to entry

Senna Baille, director of community at VeUP, said: "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.

"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 growth of women entering tech remains stunted due to many being faced with barriers of access to the sector - including a lack of visible role models and inclusive cultures, as well as unconscious bias in hiring to name the least.

Joanna Kori, head of people at Encompass Corporation, said: "While technology-focused skills and expertise remain in demand, this underlines that there is work to be done to bridge the gap, ensuring a truly inclusive industry with a diverse workforce.

"Women have so much to offer, and organisations within the technology sector must continue to invest in female talent in order to see the benefits.

"To attract and retain females, it is important that businesses are proactive and put the right policies and initiatives in place.

"This includes focusing on areas such as flexible working, which can be transformative when it comes to enabling women, and all employees, to excel in their careers while enjoying a positive work-life balance."