In modern society, women's economic roles are growing day by day. However, not all industries are achieving gender equality at the same pace. Recently, Data in Race analyzed LinkedIn data from 61 economies to publish the "Women in the Workforce: Industry Rankings" as of June 2026. Today's post will delve into this chart to analyze which industries have a high concentration of female workers and which remain heavily male-dominated.
This data shows the percentage of female workers in 18 major industries worldwide. Let's break down the characteristics of each industry and compare them to the global average.
✔︎ Complete Chart Summary: Female Representation by Industry
First, let's organize the 18 industries and the cross-industry average shown in the chart by rank.
|
Rank |
Industry |
Share of
Women (%) |
|
1 |
Healthcare
and Care Services |
60% |
|
2 |
Education |
54% |
|
3 |
Consumer
Services |
52% |
|
4 |
Government
and Public Sector |
51% |
|
5 |
Retail |
47% |
|
6 |
Administrative
and Support Services |
45% |
|
7 |
Entertainment
Providers |
44% |
|
8 |
Financial
Services |
44% |
|
9 |
Real
Estate |
43% |
|
10 |
Professional
Services |
42% |
|
11 |
Accommodation
and Food |
42% |
|
12 |
Technology,
Information and Media |
35% |
|
13 |
Wholesale |
34% |
|
14 |
Manufacturing |
33% |
|
15 |
Utilities |
32% |
|
16 |
Supply
Chain and Transportation |
32% |
|
17 |
Oil, Gas
and Mining |
25% |
|
18 |
Infrastructure |
24% |
|
19 |
Cross-industry
average |
42% |
✔︎ The Cradle of Female Labor: Healthcare, Education, and Public Services
The most striking feature of the chart is undoubtedly the top-ranking industries. Ranked 1st is "Healthcare and Care Services," where a massive 60% of the workforce is female. This demonstrates that caregiving labor—such as nursing, elderly care, and social welfare—which has traditionally been linked to women's social roles, remains a female-dominated industry.
Ranked 2nd is "Education" at 54%. The education sector, including K-12 teachers, also has a female majority well over half. Following this are "Consumer Services" (52%) in 3rd place and the "Government and Public Sector" (51%) in 4th. In the government and public sector, women's participation is particularly active due to relatively stable employment environments and systematic gender equality policies. All four of these top industries exceed the 50% mark, leading the way for gender equality in the labor market.
✔︎ Industries Above Average: Finance, Real Estate, and Entertainment
The industries ranked 5th through 11th hover slightly above or around the overall average (42%).
Retail (47%) ranks 5th, followed by Administrative and Support Services (45%) in 6th. Interestingly, "Entertainment Providers" (44%) and "Financial Services" (44%) tied for 7th and 8th place. The financial sector, once considered a quintessential male-dominated industry, now shows that women make up a significant portion of the workforce, suggesting that the glass ceiling is gradually shattering.
Following them are Real Estate (43%) in 9th, Professional Services (42%) in 10th, and Accommodation and Food (42%) in 11th, all showing figures exactly matching or closely aligning with the cross-industry average of 42%.
✔︎ Persisting Barriers: Tech, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure
On the other hand, the lower-tier industries have yet to escape a male-centric structure.
Ranked 12th is "Technology, Information and Media" at just 35%. Despite the explosive global growth of the IT and tech industries, the proportion of women majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and working in these sectors remains relatively low.
This is followed by Wholesale (34%) in 13th, Manufacturing (33%) in 14th, Utilities (32%) in 15th, and Supply Chain and Transportation (32%) in 16th, all lingering in the low-to-mid 30s. Manufacturing and transportation often involve a higher proportion of physical labor or have deeply ingrained male-dominated occupational cultures.
The lowest ranks go to "Oil, Gas and Mining" (25%) in 17th and "Infrastructure" (24%) in 18th. In these industries, the female share is merely a quarter, highlighting the most severe gender imbalance across global industries. On-site working environments, high-intensity labor, and long-standing male-centric networks are interpreted as significant barriers to entry.
✔︎ The Implication of the Data: The Gender Equality Gap Between Industries
The biggest takeaway from this chart is that the "gender equality gap between industries" remains stark. The overall cross-industry average is 42%, falling short of half. The phenomenon of "occupational segregation," where women are concentrated in specific sectors like caregiving, education, and administration, is highly evident.
The fact that women's participation is low in core industries that drive future growth—such as Technology (35%) and Infrastructure (24%)—can lead to future wage gaps and career interruptions for women. Therefore, moving forward, it is essential to go beyond simply increasing women's entry into the labor market. Policy efforts are necessary to encourage women's participation in STEM education and technical roles, as well as to improve the organizational culture of male-dominated industries.
This analysis, based on LinkedIn data, is significant because it relies on the actual profiles of individuals across 61 global economies. Is the industry you work in in the top tier or the bottom? We hope this data provides an opportunity to reflect on the labor structure of our society.
