Ireland has widest gender gap in Europe for use of advanced technology skills 

Roughly 44% of men in Ireland use such advanced skills at work compared to just 18% of women, a gap of 26%, which is almost double the European average. File picture

Ireland has the widest gender gap in Europe in terms of the use of advanced technological skills at work, with men more than twice as likely to use such skills, according to research.

A study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shows male workers are far more likely to employ advanced skills such as programming, machine learning, or AI tools in the course of their employment. 

Roughly 44% of men in Ireland use such advanced skills at work compared to just 18% of women, a gap of 26%, which is almost double the European average.

However, the size of the gap is somewhat explained by a relatively high level of use of advanced skills by men as opposed to a low corresponding figure for women, the ESRI said, with the 44% of Irish males who use such skills a distance ahead of the average for European men of 32%.

The gender gap is seen even among male and female workers working at comparable levels, regardless of the fact they may have similar levels and fields of education or occupation, which likely means increasing female participation in tech education or occupations would not be enough to close the gap, the ESRI said.

The trend is being seen to a greater extent among the younger cohort of workers, a fact which suggests the issue is not easily resolved and will not work itself out naturally over time, according to the research.

ESRI senior research officer Adele Whelan said the findings indicate a possible “digital glass ceiling” within workplaces.

Joyce O’Connor, chairperson of Block W which co-authored the study, said failing to close the skills gap would represent “an avoidable constraint on growth”, adding that further research on task allocation and progression within firms would be necessary to that end.