Nature of employment

3.1 Overview

There were 441,000 female IT specialists in the UK workforce during 2024 - 22% of the total at that time. As illustrated in the chart below, the level of female representation in IT has increased slightly over the past five years but remains well below the level observed within the workforce as a whole (49%).

Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS 

If the level of representation for female workers in IT specialist positions was equal to that amongst the working age population as a whole during 2024, there would have been an additional 530,000 in IT roles in the UK.

3.2 Representation across the UK

Amongst the UK nations/regions, Wales and the East Midlands were associated with the lowest level of female representation amongst IT specialists in 2024 (with women accounting for 13% and 16% respectively of all IT specialists in these two regions). By contrast, Scotland, London and the North East displayed the best ‘gender balance’, with women accounting for 26%, 25% and 25% respectively of IT specialists in these areas.

Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS