A new study led by Wharton management professor Tiantian Yang reveals that women who face rejection when applying for contract roles in male-dominated fields like IT and computer programming are significantly less likely than men to keep pursuing jobs in those industries. After being turned down, women are much more inclined than men to look for work outside tech altogether, with many stopping their job searches entirely. The findings are detailed in Yang’s paper, “Approaching or Avoiding? Gender Asymmetry in Reactions to Prior Job Search Outcomes by Gig Workers in Female- vs. Male-typed Job Domains,” published in Social Forces.

This trend is fueling the so-called “leaky pipeline” in STEM, where women and minorities enter these fields but often leave, their ambitions undermined by discrimination, isolation, or lack of opportunities. Despite gains in recent decades, a significant gender gap remains, with women making up only 28% of the global STEM workforce.

Young women frequently start out in STEM majors but end up switching to other areas after negative experiences, Yang explains. This leads to declining numbers of women in STEM over time. Remaining in these fields can be tough, not just due to limited opportunities but also because of self-doubt. Gendered expectations can make it especially challenging for women to keep searching for jobs after facing multiple rejections.

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