Why Do 87% of Women Leave Tech Within a Decade?

The technology sector could be undermining its own capacity for innovation as women continue to leave roles at critical junctures in their careers, according to UK-focused research commissioned by Akamai.

The study, which gathered responses from 1,500 women across the UK – 1,000 who have departed tech roles and 500 who have returned following a career break – paints a concerning picture for an industry increasingly reliant on diverse perspectives to build inclusive AI systems and robust security infrastructure.

Akamai says 55% of women leave tech roles or tech companies within five years of entering the industry, with 87% departing within a decade.

"Over the years, I've had the privilege of meeting hundreds of brilliant women working in technology, but I've also known many who have walked away from their careers," says Natalie Billingham, EMEA Managing Director at Akamai, in the report introduction.

"Their stories have stayed with me. These are not women who lacked ambition, talent or resilience. They are women who hit a wall: a culture that didn't see them, a career path that narrowed rather than opened or simply a working pattern that couldn't flex around the rest of their lives."

The research found that company culture is a key factor driving women from the sector, with 52% of those surveyed lacking a sense of belonging and 40% experiencing a lack of gender diversity in leadership.

Inflexible working hours also featured prominently, cited by 56% of women who struggled with work-life balance.

"What we wanted to understand better is when women leave, why they leave and, critically, what it would take for them to come back," Natalie adds. "That is what this research sets out to answer."

Talent migrates to other sectors

Of those who departed the tech sector, only 15% left the job market entirely and are not currently working.

Others transitioned into finance (13%), education (13%), professional services (12%) and healthcare (12%).

The exodus could have particularly significant implications for cybersecurity, where diverse teams are increasingly recognised as essential for building comprehensive defence systems.

"We lose women from cybersecurity at the exact moment their expertise becomes most valuable," says Zoe Mackenzie, President of Women in CyberSecurity for UK & Ireland. "This isn't a pipeline problem, it's a leadership one."

"Diverse teams build stronger defences. Until organisations commit to inclusive leadership, not just diversity hiring, they are actively weakening their own security posture."

Of the 1,500 women surveyed, 192 identified cybersecurity as their primary tech specialism. A significant majority of these women (75%) said that opportunities to work on meaningful security challenges positively impacted their satisfaction.

Flexible working could entice returners

Nearly four in 10 (39%) women who have left tech said they would be likely to consider returning under the right conditions, including higher salary, work-life balance and better career progression.

Khalil Smith, Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement at Akamai, says: "Knowing that many of the barriers to full female participation in the technology workforce have been structural means that we can be intentional and strategic about change – the structures that were built for yesterday can be rebuilt to fully engage and retain the entire workforce of today and tomorrow."

According to the research, 37% cited flexible working arrangements – such as part-time, a compressed workweek or job share opportunities – as options toward a better work-life balance.

Natalie adds: "By providing opportunities for progression, flexible work and appropriate remuneration, tech leaders on the precipice of technological innovation have the chance to create impactful change on the tech workforce, fostering longer-lasting tenures, diverse leadership and an environment where women can thrive."

Building pathways back into tech

While internal policy shifts could prove vital, external experts argue that the industry must also focus on the practical logistics of the return-to-work journey.

"The findings provide a valuable picture of what mid‑career women are looking for in order to return to tech and it's encouraging to see that the majority could be persuaded to come back under the right conditions," says Hazel Little, CEO of Career Returners.

"Progression pathways are crucial for retaining talent, but equally important is ensuring that women who want to return have clear, supported ways to reenter the sector in the first place."

"When employers build both return pathways and progression pathways, they create an environment where women can come back, grow and stay."