The highest demand share of women in the workforce is currently held by the ITES/BPO (30%) industry, followed by IT/Computers-Software (24%), and Banking/Accounting/Financial Services (13%), as per data from Monster.com.
While this data reflects the current demand in job postings for women, it is also indicative of emerging industries and related roles that could witness a spike in women’s participation in the months to come. The IT/Computer-Software industry is set to emerge as a sector with demand by recruiters as well as job seekers aligning with a similar share percentage.
Interesting, job-seeker data from Monster reflects that the highest share of women job seekers was noted in the IT/Computers- Software industry at 22%. This was followed by Banking/Accounting/ Financial Services (16%), and Education (9%) sectors.
The Monster portal reflects 85,00,000 active women job seekers and around 7,800 women-specific jobs.
Recruiter demand for women across industries: ITes/BPO leads the way
With increasing awareness around gender parity in the workplace, online hiring trends by Monster.com maintain that the highest share of total women jobs available have been noted in the ITes/BPO industry at 30%. Organisations are increasingly looking to hire women to bring about innovation and efficiency, and moreover, equality in the workplace. The second highest share is held by IT/Computer- Software (24%), followed by Banking/Financial Services/Accounting (13%). Sectors such as Recruitment/Staffing/HRO and IT/Computers- Hardware & Networking have also witnessed a 5% share each in the requirements for women. From the top 10 industries with the highest demand share for women, Travel and Tourism, Internet/E-commerce, and Hospitals/Healthcare/Diagnostics have seen minimal share at 3% only.
Top 10 industries with the highest percentage share of jobs for women, as per Monster.com
| Industry | Share of total jobs for women |
| ITES/BPO | 30% |
| IT/Computers – Software | 24% |
| Banking/Accounting/Financial Services | 13% |
| Recruitment/Staffing/RPO | 5% |
| IT/Computers – Hardware & Networking | 5% |
| Education | 4% |
| Animation | 4% |
| Hospitals/Healthcare/Diagnostics | 3% |
| Internet/E-commerce | 3% |
| Travel and Tourism | 3% |
Women job seeker behaviour reflects highest demand for roles in IT/Computer Software and Banking Industries
The highest share of total women job seekers has been seen in the IT/Computers- Software industry, as per job seeker behavior on Monster.com. The Banking/Accounting/Financial Services industry holds the second largest share at 16%. These trends indicate a clear shift to more and more female professionals showing interest in new age tech dominated markets and non-traditional job roles. Women in tech and leadership roles have witnessed growing prominence over the years with businesses realizing the importance of equitable hiring in the workplace. Industries such as Education (9%), ITes/BPO (5%), Hospitals/Healthcare/Diagnostics (4%) are also among the top 10 industries most sought after by women job seekers.
Top 10 industries with the highest percentage share of women jobseekers, as per Monster.com
| Industry | Share of total women job seekers |
| IT/Computers – Software | 22% |
| Banking/Accounting/Financial Services | 16% |
| Education | 9% |
| ITES/BPO | 5% |
| Hospitals/Healthcare/Diagnostics | 4% |
| IT/Computers – Hardware & Networking | 3% |
| Telecom | 3% |
| Bio Technology & Life Sciences | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Consulting/Advisory Services | 2% |
Sekhar Garisa, CEO, Monster.com, a Quess company said, “Women’s participation in the workforce has been a much spoken about subject in the past years. Female representation, especially in top management roles, is crucial as it paves the way for a more equitable and productive workforce in the country’s fast changing employment market. We have observed that tech-enabled industries such as ITES, BPO, and Banking, to name a few, have witnessed a higher share of women among others. Moreover, it is important to remember that skilling and nurturing talent at a young age while providing equal opportunities to all lies at the core of creating a gender-inclusive workplace. Recruiters must be well-aware of the same in their hiring practices for a diverse and productive workforce.”