Under-representation

Women are under-represented in SET in the UK

• In 2008, nearly 13,000,000 women were working in the UK - of these, only 5.3 per cent were in SET occupations (see pie charts on this page).

• Of 15,400,000 men in employment in 2008, a third worked in SET.

• Women represent 15.5 per cent of SET professionals in the UK.

• Of 5,497,072 people working in SET occupations (including skilled trades) in the UK in 2008, only 12.3 per cent were women.

• Among 468,580 engineering professionals, only 6.9 per cent were women (32,106). Among 457,636 ICT professionals, only 14.4 per cent were women (66,076).

• In 2008 women accounted for only 5.2 per cent of SET-based self employment in the UK.