New MetLife Survey: Women Drawn to STEM Careers in the Face of Tech Disruption, Which Could Help Bridge STEM Talent Shortage

September 24, 2024 at 08:00 AM EDT

Survey results fuel topics for MetLife’s 6^th annual Triangle Tech X Conference (TTX), where Katie Ledecky will join the conversation examining the ways disruption can help to power a more inclusive future in STEM

MetLife’s annual TTX report on women and STEM, released today, shows the majority of women in the U.S. workforce are contemplating careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The study found that women are more likely to say they’ve considered pursuing a STEM career this year than last, as 60% say they find a career in STEM appealing.

This comes amid concerns from STEM employers about talent scarcity in their fields. Nearly 90% say a talent shortage in STEM is a looming issue, and the same percentage say they need to do more to bridge this gap. For STEM organizations and beyond, fostering a culture that heightens inclusion efforts—in addition to encouraging employees to challenge the status quo—can be an effective way to recruit more female talent.

“Emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, are creating disruption in STEM fields,” said Bill Pappas, Head of Global Technology and Operations at MetLife. “The good news is this disruption is providing opportunity because it democratizes technology, and women are embracing that. Bridging this gap is essential—and it is against this backdrop that we’ll be convening top thought leaders in STEM and business to discuss how disruption is critical to strengthening the STEM talent pipeline at our 6^th annual Triangle Tech X (TTX) conference in October.”

Titled “The Disruption Advantage: Powering Inclusion and Innovation in STEM,” the free, virtual conference, taking place on October 1 and 2 from 10:00 AM ET to 2:00 PM ET each day, will evaluate the role disruption plays in powering a more inclusive STEM future. The agenda includes powerhouse trailblazers like Katie Ledecky, one of the greatest female swimmers of all time and New York Times’ bestselling author, Mick Ebeling, whose companies focus on developing technology that benefits humanity, and Sallie Krawcheck, considered one of the most powerful women on Wall Street.

STEM’s “Disruption Advantage”

Part of what is fueling women’s notable interest in STEM is that it provides more opportunities for disruption. Women see disruption as advantageous in the workplace (66%) and prefer to work for a company, manager, or with colleagues that embrace it.

The data also show more can be done to make STEM inclusive. A lack of female role models and mentors in STEM fields is seen as a top barrier for new generations coming into STEM, while past MetLife research found women in STEM are nearly twice as likely as non-STEM women to leave the workforce due to stress/burnout, seeing others getting promoted ahead of them, and not being paid fairly.

Solutions for Powering the STEM Pipeline

Increasing the number of women in STEM could greatly benefit organizations by addressing the talent shortage and giving them a competitive edge. Specifically, employees say increasing the number of women in these roles would drive greater disruptive thinking in the industry (65%).

“This heightened interest among women signals the dawn of a new age in our industry, but we’re just getting started,” said Tamar Shapiro, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at MetLife. “It’s critical that STEM employers double down on making STEM roles more accessible and inclusive; if we don’t, we risk losing our appeal among top talent that would otherwise have a profound impact not only on our industry, but on our society as a whole.”

Research Methodology

The survey was run in August 2024 among 2,000 women and men in the U.S. workforce with a focus on women in STEM (total: 300) and college/university students (total: 250). The sample is representative of age, ethnicity, and region. An additional STEM employer survey (300) provides comparison points and identifies gaps against employee expectations.

About STRAT7 incite

STRAT7 incite is a global strategy, insight and planning consultancy. Since its inception, STRAT7 incite has worked collaboratively with leading companies to help define opportunities for brands, categories and businesses. Its expertise spans across Financial Services, Food and Drink, Beauty, Healthcare, Telecoms, Technology, Entertainment, and Travel. For more information, visit https://www.incite-global.com/

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.