In 2023 3,500 women's jobs were added to the high-tech industry compared to 6,700 men.

A comprehensive report on "Women in Hi-Tech 2024" was drawn up these days by the Economy and Research Division of the Innovation Authority, and the Aaron Institute on the occasion of International Women's Day, starting tomorrow. The good news: in 2023, there will be an increase in the number of women in the high-tech industry in Israel - 131,000 women, almost double compared to the previous decade, and an increase of 2.7% compared to 2023.

The bad news: it's not enough. According to this growth rate, the State of Israel will not meet the goal set by the Perlmutter Committee for increasing human capital in high-tech more than a year ago, and in 2035 a shortage of 80,000 women is expected in the industry.
  Since the rate of growth of male employees in high-tech was similar, the relative proportion of women in the industry remained constant as it has been throughout the last decade - only about a third. In 2023, about 3,500 women's jobs were added to high-tech, compared to nearly 6,700 men.
The Innovation Authority is the ultimate body for reliable and up-to-date information on the subject and is based on data collected by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The report also shows that in the last decade, the majority of the increase in women's jobs in high-tech was in research and development positions, which are considered more prestigious and more common among men. R&D workers are currently 38% of all women in the industry, numbering approximately 55,000 women. The increase can be explained by the number of female high-tech degree students, which increased in the last decade by 64%. In high-tech headquarters and business positions, the proportion of women already reaches approximately 48%.
The proportion of women in the industry is similar to that observed in European countries such as Germany, Ireland, France and Poland. Also in the USA, the proportion of women in high-tech in 2023 was 36.5%.
The total number of people employed in the high-tech sector and technological jobs in other sectors of the economy reached in 2023 approximately 561 thousand men and women. Women from the ultra-orthodox society fill 1.9% of all these jobs, and women from the Arab society - only 0.75%.
The innovation authority is encouraged by the rate of growth: if this continues, most of the population groups (women, Arabs, ultra-Orthodox and peripheral) will overtake the targets set for them by the Perlmutter Committee for 2035. Only two populations will not meet the target: non-Orthodox women, and Arab women. Although Arab women are the population with the highest growth rate in tech jobs - their number in the industry is still low. Initial growth is noticeable among ultra-Orthodox women, who already occupy 6% of women's tech jobs, an increase from 2.8% in 2014.
According to the data of the Innovation Authority, there is a clear connection between high school studies and university degrees to high-tech employment and salary. Holders of high-tech degrees and "high-tech matriculation" have the highest chance of being employed in the industry: they make up 87% of the men and 81% of the women.
60% of the students approaching matriculation in subjects suitable for high-tech are Jews. Later on, they make up 60% of those employed in the industry, and their salary is NIS 8,300 higher on average compared to those with a regular high school diploma. Jewish female students, who make up 29% of the high-tech matriculates, later make up 33% of those employed in high-tech and their wages are 6,800 shekels higher on average than their female counterparts in other professions. The situation is similar in Arab society.
In a survey conducted among teenagers, the Innovation Authority found that the environmental influence is decisive in the decision of teenagers to study in excellent classes in middle school. It was found that the reason usually stems from the recommendations of the math teacher, who recommends it to 45% of the boys - and only to 17% of the girls.
As for the salary - women in high-tech still earn on average about 20% less than men. It also turns out that men change jobs more than women; In the periods close to childbirth, women rarely change jobs. In addition, each year of experience contributes an additional 8.9% to a man's salary in high-tech; For women - only 5.4%.
Among the conclusions of the report's editors: it is important to invest resources to encourage female students to join excellent classes and choose high-tech graduations; Action must be taken to diversify female employees in high-tech from all populations, especially women from Arab society; And employers are advised to make sure that there are no pay gaps between men and women in the same positions and with similar characteristics.