Gender Disparity Worsens in Tech: Layoffs Disproportionately Affect Women

What’s going on:      

The tech industry, which is predominantly male, has been experiencing a wave of layoffs that disproportionately affect women, according to Axios. The report is based on an analysis by Layoffs.fyi, which reveals that 45% of the tech employees laid off from October 2022 to June 2023 were women. This is despite the fact that most industry statistics indicate a much higher percentage of male employees in the tech industry. It has been estimated that Women made up about one-third, or 0.33%, of the technology workforce, according to Deloitte.  

The tech layoffs have reportedly hit hardest in areas of these companies that are typically more female-dominated, such as human resources, recruiting, and marketing. Axios reports that “almost half of HR personnel and recruiters were laid off in tech, compared to 10% of engineers and 4% of salespeople.” 

Why it matters:     

The tech industries’ long-standing efforts to diversify its workforce have been set back by these massive layoffs felt this year. The layoffs also seem to be impacting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff within tech companies.  

Tech companies have shown recent signs of slowing down on layoffs. However, this could have long-term implications for the industry’s ability to develop a diverse and inclusive work environment.

How it’ll impact the future:       

The disproportionate layoffs of women in tech will likely impact existing gender disparities and may even discourage women from pursuing careers in tech, further limiting the pool of talent available to the industry.  

This data reveals how the workforce in the tech industry could become even more male-dominated if this trend continues. This could lead to a lack of diversity in thought and perspectives that in turn could impact innovation at these companies. It could also create a less inclusive work environment, which can negatively impact employee morale and productivity. Beyond the tech industry, this trend could send a discouraging message to women in other industries as well as those working in human resources, recruiting, and marketing.