Women in Professional IT Jobs in the UK: Old Wine in New Bottles?

Abstract

A first aim of this article is to give a current picture of women’s employment in the IT sector in the UK, focusing on occupational sex segregation and on the gender pay gap. This shows that women’s low representation in the sector as a whole and in specific professional roles continues to be a persistent issue. We also review the literature that explains women’s position in IT employment, focusing particularly on new research that points up the importance of the ‘hybrid’ technical/soft skills jobs that employers believe are new opportunities for women. Whilst these may be new opportunities, we question whether they are good opportunities. There are implications, therefore, for both employees and employers.

Keywords

• women in IT employment
• hybrid jobs
• gendered hybrid jobs
• boundaryless career.