Career Services

A Woman's Place - in Tech

This is the U.S. Department of Labor blog post authored by Latifa Lyles, Director of the Women's Bureau.  In her blog,  Latifa writes that recently several Internet companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn have released self-reported workforce  diversity  data that illustrate women hold a very small percentage of tech jobs at these companies.  While these numbers may be disheartening, it's encouraging that companies are beginning  to hold themselves accountable.  In this blog, you can also find resources and training in the tech field available through the Department of Labor.

Over the past few months, several of the IT giants have released self-reported workforce diversity data. The data show that women hold a very small percentage of the tech jobs at these companies. At Apple, for example, only 20 percent of tech positions are occupied by women. The figures for Google, Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo are even lower.

 

While these numbers may be disheartening, the fact that these companies are self-auditing and reporting their findings is encouraging. By publicly releasing this information, they are holding themselves accountable. After all, it’s easy to broadcast what your company is doing well. It’s a lot harder to admit what needs improvement.

So why are IT companies looking at their own diversity statistics? Several CEOs and industry leaders report dissatisfaction with the status quo, recognizing the importance and value of diversity and inclusion. In addition to data reporting, it is interesting to see large companies taking steps to fund training and to partner with organizations such as the National Center for Women & Information Technology and the Anita Borg institute to help get more women into the industry. Hopefully other tech firms will follow suit.

IT jobs may be good for women. They often pay much higher than average wages. Plus, the industry is projected to grow faster than many other fields, which could provide both greater job security and opportunity for advancement. Moreover, many of these companies are known for being great places to work. Working Mother recently released its survey of the 100 best companies; no fewer than eight are IT companies.  Also, many IT-related skills can be acquired on the job or in short-term training or associates degree programs.

If you’re interested in working in this field, I encourage you to check out some of the resourcesand training available through the Department of Labor. You can also visit the Women’s Bureau’s new data and statics page, which includes information on women’s participation in non-traditional occupations, including those in computer and information technology, or the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Today, women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force, and while women are still overrepresented in lower-paying jobs, sustainable and innovative jobs of the future must mean a more inclusive labor force where women succeed and are able to access a broader array of jobs. 

Latifa Lyles is the Director of the Women’s Bureau.