According to a study, economic development in Europe could be boosted noticeably with a higher proportion of women in tech jobs. According to a study by the market research company McKinsey, women currently hold 22 percent of jobs in this area in the EU member states.
If we succeed in doubling the proportion of women in tech roles to up to 45 percent in 2027, Europe’s gross domestic product could increase by up to 260 billion to then 600 billion euros.
According to this, the EU labor market will lack between 1.4 million and 3.9 million workers in the technology environment by 2027, in Germany alone 780,000. This increasing demand cannot be met in Europe by today’s talent pool, which is predominantly male. ‘The lack of gender diversity in Europe’s tech landscape leads to significant disadvantages for employment, innovation and European society as a whole,’ explained co-author Sven Blumberg.
In elementary and secondary education, there is no evidence that boys are better at math or computer science than their female classmates, said co-author and McKinsey consultant Melanie Krawina. But when it comes to enrolling at the university for a MINT discipline (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), there is “a first dramatic drop” to 38 percent. Accordingly, only 19 percent of young women opt for the technically oriented disciplines of information and communication technology.
Empowering women in tech
After graduating from university, the proportion of women falls again. The McKinsey analysis shows that 23 percent of Mint graduates take on a tech role when entering the workforce. For men, the figure is 44 percent. The consultants recommend companies to better promote women in the technology sector and, for example, to offer more flexible working models or better childcare. Companies need to do a better job of retaining women and giving them a reason to stay in technology. The retention of female talent must be introduced as an important performance indicator for the evaluation of executives.
According to the study, companies can significantly increase the number of women in technology positions by recruiting female employees for a tech role from previously “untapped but related talent pools, training them and further developing their technological skills”. This measure alone could create around 1.3 million additional jobs for women in a tech role by 2027.
