The gender pay gap increased in both the UK and US for data workers. Credit: insta_photos/shutterstock

The number of women working in data collection, analysis and storage has drastically declined in 2023, according to a new study published today (12 Dec) by data recruitment company Harnham. Overall, women account for less than a third of the world’s data workers. 

The percentage of women working in data in the US declined from 26% to 22% within the last year. Whilst the number of women working in the UK’s data industry increased 2%. The number of women in entry level data jobs in the UK decreased to 11% from over 30%. 

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Despite this the gender pay gap between data workers increased in both the UK and US. 

The UK saw the greatest increase in the gender pay gap, from 6% to 16%. 

Black data professionals were the least paid in the UK’s data industry, regardless of gender identity, seeing a pay gap of 24%.  

“These findings present a disappointing move in the wrong direction, particularly as female representation at a junior level has been on a steady incline over recent years,” stated Harnham’s CEO David Farmer, who explained that the decline of women entering entry level data jobs was particularly negative for the future of the data. 

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“The data industry’s ability to operate as an innovative sector is reliant on a constant stream of high-quality talent, and if we’re failing to reach or retain any section of the population, our growth and success will quickly hit a ceiling,” he commented. 

In a 2023 GlobalData survey around 43% of respondents stated that their business had an environment, social and governance policy with pressure from legislators being cited as the most influential factor for implementing these policies.