02-05-2025
Wales sees biggest drop in male STEM roles in UK
An analysis of the Annual Population Survey by Burgess Hill Girls School revealed a 10.32 per cent decrease in male STEM roles in Wales between January to December 2021 and October 2023 to September 2024.
This suggests that a tenth of males previously working in STEM roles in Wales may have been replaced or left the sector entirely.
Women also saw a drop in STEM roles, with a 9.50 per cent decrease.
Despite the overall decline, Wales has seen relatively stable STEM employment figures between 2021 and 2023/24, with only minor shifts in the composition of top careers.
The most common STEM occupation for women remains nursing, with women making up more than 88 per cent of all 'other nursing professionals' in 2023/24.
There was growth in female representation in software development, increasing by 28.57 per cent, and women also saw an 8.33 per cent increase in generalist medical practitioner roles.
Anne Pithie, director of marketing and communications at Burgess Hill Girls, said: "We often hear about the importance of women in STEM, but phrases like this and the numbers behind them are often used without context.
"Seeing numbers fall in STEM occupations is disappointing, especially seeing numbers for women fall at a higher rate when they're already under-represented.
"If we want to see these numbers moving in the right direction, we all have a responsibility to ensure that as many doors are open, giving all children the ability to walk through them."
