Knowledge Center

While many research reports examine the business case for women in the various industries in the workplace, high tech is another industry where women are definitely needed. While the lack of women at upper decision-making levels could potentially result in a bias in shaping policies for R&D, this also means that research could be potentially less innovative – due to lack of diversity.1

High Tech Employment in the U.S.

• In 2012, out of 66,914,000 employed women, just 5.7% (3,816,000) of women had computer and mathematical occupations, and just 4.3% (2,846,000) of women had architecture and engineering occupations.2

High Tech Education in the U.S.

• In 2010, 57.1% of women enrolled in tertiary studies were in the science, mathematics, computing, engineering, manufacturing, and construction fields.3

High Tech Employment in Canada

• According to the 2006 Census, 500,525 women and 621,925 men were employed by professional, scientific, and technical services industries.4

• In 2009, 3.3% women and 10.6% men were employed in natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics occupations.5

High Tech Employment in Europe

• In 2008 in the EU, there were almost 50,000 high-tech manufacturing enterprises, and 756,000 knowledge-intensive service enterprises. Of all countries in the EU, the UK had the greatest number of high-tech knowledge-intensive service enterprises (144,006), which was almost one-fifth of the EU total.6
• 1.1% of the total labor force was employed in high-tech manufacturing.7
• Women were 39.2% of the total high-tech manufacturing labor force in the EU.8
• In just five EU countries – Portugal, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Hungary – were women more than half of all high tech manufacturing employees.9

High Tech Education in Europe

• In 2010, the graduation rate for women in engineering degree courses in Europe was 20%.10
• In 2010, the United Kingdom’s graduation rate for women in engineering degree courses was 15%.11
  • However, in the United Kingdom, girls are shown to outperform boys in subjects including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).12
  • In 2009, 72% females and 55% males received letter grades of A-C in Design and Technology.13
• In 2010, United Kingdom figures indicated that of 6,400 enrolled students, only 7.7% of females graduate with a diploma in engineering.14
• Just 31.4% of all STEM graduates in Germany are women.15
• Of all women graduates in Germany,
  • 13.0% studied science, technology, or math,16
  • 7.1% studied engineering.17

High Tech Education and Employment around the World

• In Japan, 23% of women obtain university first degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.18
• In Japan, 660,000 women and 1,320,000 men were employed by the Scientific Research, Professional, and Technical Services industries.19

How to cite this product: Catalyst. Catalyst Quick Take: Women in High Tech, Globally. New York: Catalyst, 2012.

• 1. European Commission Information Society and Media, Women and ICT: Status Report 2009 (2010).
• 2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table 12: Employed Persons by Sex, Occupation, Class of Worker, Full- or Part-time Status, and Race," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 3. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 10: Persons Age 25 and Over Who Hold a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Degree, by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Field of Bachelor’s Degree: 2009," Digest of Education Statistics (2011).
• 4. Statistics Canada, "2006 Census of Population, Statistics Canada catalogue no. 97-559-XCB2006010 (Canada, Code01). Industry - North American Industry Classification System 1997 (Historical) (411), Age Groups (12A) and Sex (3) for the Labour Force 15 Years and Over of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses - 20% Sample Data."
• 5. Statistics Canada, "Table 12: Distribution of Employment by Occupations, 1987, 1999 and 2009," Women in Canada.
• 6. Eurostat, “High-Tech Statistics” (October 2011).
• 7. Eurostat, “High-Tech Statistics” (October 2011).
• 8. Eurostat, “High-Tech Statistics” (October 2011).
• 9. Eurostat, “High-Tech Statistics” (October 2011).
• 10. Engineering UK, "Women in Engineering and Technology."
• 11. Engineering UK, "Women in Engineering and Technology."
• 12. Engineering UK, "Women in Engineering and Technology."
• 13. Engineering UK, "Women in Engineering and Technology."
• 14. Engineering UK, "Women in Engineering and Technology."
• 15. Christine Anger, Wido Geis, and Axel Plunnecke, MINT-Fruhjarsreport 2012 (Cologne Institute for Economic Research, 2012).
• 16. Christine Anger, Wido Geis, and Axel Plunnecke, MINT-Fruhjarsreport 2012 (Cologne Institute for Economic Research, 2012).
• 17. Christine Anger, Wido Geis, and Axel Plunnecke, MINT-Fruhjarsreport 2012 (Cologne Institute for Economic Research, 2012).
• 18. Department of Education; Department for Employment and Learning UK, “Report of the STEM Review- DENI and DELNI.”
• 19. Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan, “Table 11: Employed Persons by Age, Industry,” Labor Force Survey.
• 20. European Commission. “Glossary: Knowledge-Intensive Services.”