Information Age: News, analysis & insight for IT & business leaders

Nearly 40,000 female IT workers in the UK have left the industry since 2001, according to BCS

The number of women working in the UK’s IT industry has fallen sharply in the past six years, despite the total number of IT workers growing, according to a new report by trade body BCS.

In 2007, there were 192,580 female workers in the UK IT industry, just over 18% of the total IT workforce. That compares to 23% in 2001, when the industry employed fewer people. Around 37,000 women left the industry in the intervening years, the report found.

“The number of women exiting the IT profession continues to rise alarmingly, mainly due to the lack of flexibility offered by employers,” said Dr Jan Peters, manager at the BCS Women’s Forum.

The finding puts the lie to the common perception that the shortage of women in the IT sector relates to a lack of interest. Instead, it seems that women are actively deterred by the treatment they receive within the industry.

Further reading

Gender gap
What is exacerbating the gender imbalance in the UK's IT workforce, and what can be done to reverse its impact?