This discrepancy with women in STEM roles such as data has been highlighted many reports and charity groups, including the Anumana Code Academy, and Girls Into Coding. At the end of 2022, it was noted that only one in five women were considering a data-based career and the start of 2023 saw claims that DEI initiatives in the UK had lost momentum – which now appears to be the case with decreasing statistics.
The latest findings for women
There is a small level of discrepancy between nations and their specifics, but the overall headline is that progress made in recent years has been lost. Although the Netherlands decreased its data gender wage gap from 23% to 10%, the UK has seen the wage gap increase from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2023 and the US has also increased its gender wage gap.
In the US, women were just 12% of entry-level data positions compared to 36% in 2022, and in the UK the number decreased to just 11% from 2022 levels of 35%. In the wider EU market, there was a decline in representation for women from 37% to 34% – a smaller decrease than the UK and the US, but a decrease, nonetheless. The only region to buck this trend was the Netherlands where entry-level positions have been taken in the majority by women at 60% for 2023.
There is, however, a small glimmer of hope that not all momentum for positive change has been lost. In the UK mid-tier positions have improved parity by reaching 37% in total, with 35% of technical lead and managerial positions being held by women. This is improved further in the US where women occupy 39% of the equivalent mid-tier positions. In the EU, the representation of women in director positions has increased from 11% in 2022 to 15% in 2023.
“Hiring new talent is always an early casualty of economic slowdown as organisations hoard cash and freeze recruitment,” said David Reed, chief knowledge officer and evangelist, DataIQ. “In the short-term, this has relatively little impact. But as soon as markets recover and demand for skills grows, it leaves businesses chasing a very limited pool.
“What makes the decline in female entrants into data and analytics especially worrying, however, is the effect on diversity just at the point when automated decision-making, thanks to AI, is growing fast. Without the balanced perspective of both genders in the room when models are built and tested, bias is bound to result. It may even be that the current focus on gen AI is embedding even further the sense of data being an extension of the male-dominated world of tech.”
The Harnam report is part of its annual Diversity In Data report, surveying more than 6,500 professionals across the UK, US, France and Netherlands. The report examines the distribution of pay, diversity across different levels of employment and leadership and analyses what professional benefits are deemed most appealing to different demographics.
“These findings present a disappointing move in the wrong direction, particularly as female representation at a junior level has been on a steady incline over recent years and because this section of the workforce is representative of the industry’s future,” said David Farmer, chief executive officer, Harnham. “The data industry’s ability to operate as an innovative, forward-thinking sector is reliant on a constant stream of high-quality talent, and if, as employers, we’re failing to reach or retain any section of the population, our growth and success will quickly hit a ceiling.”
In 2023, DataIQ launched its own DEI working group. The purpose of the working group is to gather intel, best practice, Q&As and case studies from members and partner DEI organisations to be shared within the wider DataIQ community. This will be released as public and members only content to encourage more diverse data teams for the community. The select members only content pieces will dive into more detail, such as case studies and best practice guides.
To get involved with the DataIQ DEI working group, you must be a member and contact Alex Roberts at alex.roberts@dataiq.global. To become a DataIQ member, click here.
