Nov. 17 (UPI) — Women working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math have reported they are considering leaving their job at a higher rate than any other field because of workplace sexism and post-COVID-19 setbacks, according to a new report from Metlife.
Metlife’s Women in STEM study finds about 22% of women surveyed working in such fields responded that they are considering leaving their positions.
The study combines a survey of human resources workers in STEM-related companies and a survey of 2,400 working-age adults in the workforce throughout the United States. About 760 of those women were also in STEM fields.
Women in STEM positions were unsatisfied with their current careers at a significantly higher rate than women working in other fields, the study found. About 12% of women not in STEM responded the same way.
Stress and burnout was the leading reason for women wanting to leave their STEM jobs. About 29% said they wanted to leave because they saw others being promoted ahead of them. Feeling a sense of purpose or importance in their work and a lack of diversity on the job were other common reasons for wanting to get out of the field.
The COVID-19 pandemic and workplace changes that followed had a disproportionate effect on women in STEM, as 20% said they were forced to take a pay cut during the pandemic — compared to 15% of people in other fields.
Women account for about 48% of the U.S. workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Their representation in STEM fields increased from 8% in 1970 to 27% in 2019. In 1970, women made up about 38% of the workforce.
Social science, math and life and physical sciences saw the greatest influx of women on the job, though representation still lags well behind men in STEM.
Another key factor in workplace dissatisfaction for women is the prevalence of sexism that has not subsided. Seventy percent of women responded that their employers did not value them as much as their male counterparts. Only 38% of women in other fields responded this way.
