By 2018 Only Half of Available IT Jobs Will Be Filled by U.S. Grads,
Yet Women Are Leaving the Industry at Alarming Rate
BOULDER, CO.--(June 8, 2010)--The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
has just released its free comprehensive report, Women
In IT: The Facts, which addresses the current state
of affairs for women working in information technology (IT) and
computing careers. The Facts discusses reasons why women
in the industry leave at staggering rates and what companies can do to
attract and retain them.
"Meanwhile, the percentage of jobs held by women in almost all
other sciences has increased significantly."
"The percentage of computing occupations held by women has been
declining since 1991, when it reached a high of 36 percent," the report
says. "Meanwhile, the percentage of jobs held by women in almost all
other sciences has increased significantly."
The Facts offers businesses extensive data about how the
loss of women in IT affects corporate profitability and U.S.
competitiveness. For example, "companies with the highest representation
of women in senior management teams had a 35 percent higher return on
equity," but "56 percent of women in technology companies leave their
organizations at the mid-level point (10-20 years) in their careers."
The research indicates that unconscious bias and gender pay gaps are
significant factors. Women account for just nine percent of IT
management positions and after 15 years experience, earn 11 percent less
than men do. Other factors are isolation, lack of role models and
mentors, poor supervisory relationships and competing life
responsibilities.
The report also provides detailed advice about what companies can do to
combat the loss of female IT talent. The primary recommendation is for
companies to develop an "ecosystem of reform," which author and NCWIT
senior research scientist Catherine Ashcraft outlines in the report.
The Facts was sponsored by the NCWIT
Workforce Alliance, which includes Fortune 500 companies such as
AT&T, Avaya, Medco, Bank of America, Boehringer Ingelheim, Google, HP,
IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Pfizer and Walmart. NCWIT is releasing
the report publicly with events at AT&T and Pfizer in the New York City
area June 9 and 10. Companies or organizations may host similar events
by contacting Ruthe
Farmer at NCWIT. The Facts charts and presentations
are available free at http://www.ncwit.org/thefacts.
Contacts