The recent LinkedIn report on green skills reveals a substantial gender disparity in the environmental workforce. Only 1 in 10 women possess green skills, compared to 1 in 6 men. The report, based on data from LinkedIn's billion-user platform and Bureau of Labor Statistics categories, highlights the following key findings:
1. The gender gap in green skills is widening, with 66% of employees possessing green skills being male. This gap has increased from 5% to 6% over the past seven years.
2. Finland stands out as an exception, where women are equally represented in the green workforce, reflecting the broader workforce composition in the country.
3. Women are significantly underrepresented in renewable energy, making up only 34% of workers in this sector, and 44% in other green sectors. The exception is environmental quality programs/program administration, where women make up 47% of employees, largely in junior roles.
4. There is a positive trend in the increasing number of women joining green sectors since 2021, with a 12.3% increase, compared to 9% for men. However, to close the gender gap, women's participation would need to increase by 2.5 times.
The report's authors note that women are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and are missing out on opportunities to be part of the solution. The data indicates that women are trailing behind men in almost every aspect of transitioning to a green economy, with these disparities often widening.