A new study by Wharton management professor Tiantian Yang reveals that women rejected for contract jobs in male-dominated fields — particularly IT and computer programming — are significantly less likely than men to keep pursuing work in those industries. After experiencing rejection, women are much more inclined than their male counterparts to seek employment outside of tech, with many even ceasing their job search altogether.

The study, titled “Approaching or Avoiding? Gender Asymmetry in Reactions to Prior Job Search Outcomes by Gig Workers in Female- vs. Male-typed Job Domains,” is published in the journal Social Forces.

These findings shed light on the persistent “leaky pipeline” in STEM, where women and minorities enter the field but often exit prematurely, discouraged by discrimination, isolation, or limited opportunities. Despite gains over recent decades, the gender gap in STEM remains wide: women make up just 28% of the global STEM workforce.

“Young women often start out in STEM majors but later switch to other fields after encountering negative experiences,” Yang explains. “Over time, this leads to fewer women in STEM careers. For many women, staying in these fields is challenging — not only because of limited opportunities, but also due to self-perception. Gendered expectations can make it particularly hard to keep searching after repeated rejections.”

Source: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/wharton-why-women-are-leaving-male-dominated-stem