After making significant progress in recent years, women are starting to find their progress on the corporate ladder stalled by a still-very visible glass ceiling, new research from LinkedIn shows.
The social media platform found that the proportion of women employed in leadership roles in the UK increased from 31.6% in 2016 to 37.8% in 2022.
However, the upward momentum has stalled over the past two years. In 2024, the proportion of women in leadership positions has dropped to 37.1%.
Ireland is the only European country assessed by LinkedIn where this proportion increased last year. But globally, the trend has been declining over the past few years.
This suggests that wins for workplace diversity have been achieved easily, while equality requires marginal gains or major workplace revolutions. It also highlights the harsh realities faced by women during the recession.
“LinkedIn’s data shows that the marginal gains made by women in leadership positions in recent years are being eroded as women pay the price for a cooling economy,” said Sue Duke, vice president of global public policy and economic graphics at LinkedIn.
“The result? In six years, the share of women in leadership has increased by less than 1%.
As women’s careers advance, there are also some long-standing barriers to women’s progress, with maternity care being a major culprit.
These barriers have proven difficult to completely dismantle. In fact, it’s so common that Gen Z women are unlikely to close the gender pay gap before they retire.
The authors of a June PwC report said: “For 21-year-old women entering the workforce today, gender pay equality remains out of reach, with analysis suggesting it will take more than 45 years for the UK to narrow its gender gap Pay gap.
Artificial Intelligence Transformation
Still, LinkedIn’s data suggests women are hopeful in the AI revolution, as they are optimistic about a technology that often brings doomsday calls.
The platform predicts that by 2030, the typical skills required for global jobs will change 68% from today.
The softer, interpersonal characteristics of these skills, such as leadership and collaboration, are overwhelmingly shared by women, the report’s authors said. On LinkedIn, women possess 28% more soft skills than men.
While there are positive views on AI’s ability to influence gender dynamics, women need to be wary of its negative impacts. LinkedIn’s Duke points out that men make up the majority of AI talent. Studies show that women are more susceptible to the technology than men.
“Unless employers take gender into account when upskilling to ensure the workplace transforms in a fair and equitable way, opportunities for women to advance in their careers will disappear.”
further reading
UK Gen Z women unlikely to close gender pay gap before retirement, PwC research says
McKinsey says only 5% of key skills needed by job seekers today will remain the same in three years: ‘Companies won’t find the perfect unicorn’
Single women have it tough: Struggling to build wealth or emergency savings due to pay gap and inflation
