Women hardest hit in tech industry’s layoffs

Author Moonshot.news

Published on: 03/02/2023

Women have been hardest hit by the tech industry’s layoffs during the last 12 months, Women in Tech research shows that 69.2% of those laid off were women. The network published its research in a post in connection with big tech companies’ recently announcing layoffs when the economic downturn means lower revenues than the companies have been used to.

WomenTech Network analyzed a sample of 4912 profiles from 54 tech companies. The research results do not represent the gender proportions of layoffs most recently announced by big tech but are a cross-industry forecast based on 4912 responses by people laid off across 54 technology-driven companies worldwide.

“This data demonstrates the urgent need to take action to ensure that more equitable opportunities are available for women in tech. We must work together to create more inclusive workplaces, where women can have equal access to job opportunities and resources”, Women in Tech writes.

“In addition, initiatives such as mentorship programs, scholarships, and other support systems must be put in place to help women build successful careers in tech.”

“We must also strive towards creating an environment of tolerance and acceptance, one that celebrates diversity and encourages open dialogue within all levels of our organizations. By working towards these goals, we can ensure that everyone has an equal chance at success in the tech industry.”

Tech firms with more than 10,000 employees report women’s representation at 26.2%.

Roughly one in four leadership positions at large global technology firms were held by women last year. Women in tech are gaining ground as the technology industry—or at least its largest players—makes slow but steady progress in shrinking its gender gap, and women in tech leadership are making the fastest advances, consultancy Deloitte Global said in a report.

Large global technology firms, on average, had nearly 33% overall female representation in their workforces in 2022, up slightly more than 2 percentage points from 2019, Deloitte Global said.

”Although the shares of women in technical and leadership roles have tended to lag the overall proportion of women by 8‒10 percentage points, they are increasing the most rapidly.”