Engineering UK report highlights drop in women in engineering

30 May 2024

New workforce data released today by EngineeringUK reveals the proportion of women working in engineering and technology roles has declined in the past year from 16.5% to 15.7%. In contrast, women make up more than half of the rest of the UK workforce (56.1%).

Further analysis shows the drop is concentrated among women aged 35 to 44. The finding is consistent with registration data published by the Engineering Council which shows the average age of women leaving the profession is 43, in contrast to 60 for men.

Analysis of the wider UK workforce does not show a similar drop or pattern of women leaving other professions. It is hoped the data, published by EngineeringUK as part of its annual review of the engineering workforce, will serve as a wake-up call to engineering and technology companies to improve recruitment and retention practice.

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