Drop in women working in engineering, study finds

Despite efforts to increase diversity in the industry, the representation of women in engineering and tech occupations has continued to decrease, with around 38,000 leaving the workforce in 2023.

This is one of the headline statistics from a UK workforce report by EngineeringUK, which provides a comprehensive overview of the UK's engineering and technology workforce, emphasising both positive trends and challenges.

The report highlights a need for increased diversity and inclusion efforts within engineering and technology to address gender, ethnicity, and disability representation challenges:

• About 6.3 million people work in engineering and technology roles, making up nearly 20% of the workforce, underscoring the significant role this sector plays in the economy.
• Workers in engineering and technology roles earn higher-than-average gross pay (£39,163), indicating the sector's economic value and the premium placed on these skills.
• The proportion of women in engineering and technology has dropped from 16.5% in 2022 to 15.7% in 2023, reflecting a concerning trend of declining female participation in this male-dominated field.
• Minority ethnic groups remain underrepresented in engineering and technology (12.4%) compared to all other occupations (16.0%). However, women from minority ethnic backgrounds are better represented (18.3%) in engineering and technology than their male counterparts (11.4%).
• Fewer people with disabilities (13.6%) work in engineering and technology compared to other sectors (18.0%), suggesting potential barriers to entry or retention for disabled workers.
• A notable portion (12.9%) of the UK workforce in engineering and technology is directly employed in the engineering industry, while an additional 6.2% work in these roles across other sectors.

Read the full report here.