A report by the City of London Corporation, published by The Guardian, warns that women in tech and financial services are at higher risk of losing their jobs to AI and automation than men.
Many women are already leaving tech jobs—up to 60,000 per year—because of low pay, lack of promotion, and little recognition, while 12,000 digital roles went unfilled in 2024 even with higher wages. If no action is taken, the digital skills gap could last until 2035, putting over £10 billion of UK economic growth at risk.
The report estimates that 119,000 clerical jobs, mostly held by women, could be automated in the next ten years, potentially costing companies £757 million in redundancy payments. It recommends reskilling and training women, especially in clerical roles, so employers can evaluate candidates based on potential rather than just past experience.
Women with mid-level experience (5+ years) are often overlooked for digital roles because rigid and automated hiring processes ignore career breaks for childcare or caring responsibilities. These sectors also have fewer women overall, making the problem worse.
City of London Mayor Dame Susan Langley said that supporting women and improving digital skills will strengthen teams and help the UK stay a global leader in innovation. Union leaders are also urging companies to invest in workforce training as AI reshapes the job market.
