According to new LinkedIn data, men hold 80% of technical jobs, including AI positions, engineering roles, and leadership positions, while women make up only slightly more than a quarter of new hires in artificial intelligence jobs. This underrepresentation is attributed to several factors, including the education pipeline, where only 5% of girls aged 13-17 list "tech" as their first career choice, and women earn only 21% of computer science degrees compared to 46% of all STEM degrees. However, a poll report by Dan Cox suggests that teenage girls are more likely than boys to pursue higher education, potentially leading to more women in tech careers in the future. The article argues that while discrimination is a factor, it's not the only reason for the underrepresentation of women in tech jobs.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Women make up just over a quarter (26%) of new hires in artificial intelligence jobs, according to LinkedIn data, while men hold 80% of technical jobs, 80% of head AI positions, 76% of engineering positions, and 74% of AI director jobs. This disparity is not surprising given that only 5% of girls aged 13-17 list “tech” as their first career choice, compared to 62% of young men. Furthermore, while 60% of teenage girls plan to pursue a four-year college degree after high school, a significant gap exists in the education pipeline, with only 27% of young women considering a career in tech, compared to 62% of young men. This underrepresentation of women in AI and technical fields is not just limited to hiring, but also extends to leadership positions, where men hold a majority of head AI positions and director jobs.
Written for “Gender Gap in Tech Jobs” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
That’s the claim in an Axios story this week.
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That → ’ → story
Women are slightly more than a quarter of new hires in artificial intelligence jobs, according to new LinkedIn data.
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Women → accord → data
Men hold 80% of technical jobs, 80% of head AI positions, 76% of engineering positions, and 74% of AI director jobs.
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Men → hold → jobs
The bottom line: “Women have long been underrepresented in the tech industry, particularly in leadership and technical roles.
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Women → underrepresente → roles
The AI boom is widening the divide.”
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boom → widen → divide
The claim has been a constant undercurrent when looking at areas where there are discrepancies in hiring and pay between men and women.
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claim → look → men
It is important in thinking about AI because the sector is on a tear today and will be in the future.
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sector → think → future
Looking under the hood at top-line statistics reveals a more complicated picture.
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Looking → look → picture
The WomenHack editorial team regularly updates a comprehensive database on tech statistics from multiple sources.
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team → update → sources
The education pipeline no doubt explains some of the discrepancy, and it starts early.
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it → explain → discrepancy
They report that only 5% of girls aged 13-17
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% → report → girls
Only 27% of young women, compared to 62% of young men, would even consider a career in tech.
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% → compare → tech
Many young women report that a career in tech has never been mentioned to them.
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career → report → them
Citing 2025 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, WomenHack reports that women earn 21% of degrees in computer science.
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women → cite → science
As a point of comparison, the latest statistics show they earn 46% of all science, technology, engineering, and math degrees.
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they → show → degrees
But women are also overtaking men in many areas of academic achievement.
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women → overtake → achievement
They receive more bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees than men, although there are significant differences by academic discipline, particularly in the sciences.
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They → receive → sciences
This education gap is likely to persist, according to new data.
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gap → persist → data
In a poll report on teenagers’ lives by my American Enterprise Institute colleague Dan Cox, 60% of teenage girls plan to pursue a four-year college degree after high school, compared to 36% of teenage boys.
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% → plan → boys
If their stated higher-education goals last, we could see more women in many different occupations in the future.
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we → state → future
The reality of men falling behind is an issue for society as well.
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men → fall → society
Moving up the age ladder in the WomenHack compendium, the data show that women leave the tech sector more often than men, and those who stay prefer remote work.
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who → move → work
Sixty-eight percent of women in tech prefer remote or hybrid work compared to 55% of men.
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percent → prefer → men
Being in an office can matter for many reasons, including opportunities for promotions and mentorship.
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Being → matter → promotions
A bro culture in tech, and women’s general belief that they have to work harder to prove themselves, are popular explanations for why women leave.
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women → work → themselves
It would be foolish to suggest that there is no discrimination in this sector or others, but other factors weigh heavily on women’s advancement.
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factors → suggest → advancement
Also important are the career preferences of women and men, which play a role in the disparities we see across many sectors.
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we → play → sectors
I’ve spent time looking at women’s interest in running for political office, for example.
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I → spend → example
Studies show that young women are less confident about their ability to enter politics than men.
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women → show → men
Early mentoring can change this and attract more women.
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mentoring → change → women
But many young women just don’t see running for office as attractive as some young men do.
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men → see → office
Frankly, as the data show, a political career is not that attractive for most young men, either.
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career → show → men
Women have been advancing in most areas at a remarkable pace in recent decades, and they are 50% of hires in non-AI jobs.
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they → advance → jobs
AI job postings have “roughly doubled” since 2023, according to the LinkedIn data, and the industry will need qualified women and men.
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industry → double → women
But closing the gender gap in leadership in AI won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight, because no single factor explains it.
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factor → close → it
