LeanIn Women In The Workplace 2018 Study: Women Continue To Be Underrepresented At Every Level

LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company just released Women in the Workplace 2018, their fourth annual study on the state of women in corporate America. This year, 279 companies employing more than 13 million people participated.

“The study reveals a disconnect. Companies continue to report they are highly committed to gender diversity, yet women continue to be vastly underrepresented at every level. Women are doing their part. They’ve been earning more bachelor’s degrees than men for decades. They’re asking for promotions and negotiating salaries at the same rates as men. And contrary to conventional wisdom, they are staying in the workforce at the same rate as men.

Now companies need to do their part. This starts with treating gender diversity like the business priority it is, from setting targets to holding leaders accountable for results. It requires closing gender gaps in hiring and promotions, particularly at the critical step up to manager where women are particularly disadvantaged – men end up holding 62 percent of manager positions, while women hold just 38 percent. And it means taking bolder steps to create respectful and inclusive workplaces. Everyday discrimination—which women of color and lesbian women are more likely to face—and sexual harassment have no place in today’s workplace.

The report recommends concrete actions that companies can take right now to make progress on gender diversity and includes success stories from Allstate, Airbnb, Hilton, L’Oreal, Mozilla, Procter & Gamble, Sodexo and VMware.

You’ll find the full report at womenintheworkplace.com, and The Wall Street Journal is running a special section on the report today, including an op-ed by Sheryl Sandberg and our president, Rachel Thomas. We hope you’ll share both with your friends, colleagues, and community. And please look for our upcoming podcast episode on the report findings.”