Start of main content

STEM after COVID-19

How the pandemic reshaped women’s participation in STEM 

Introduction

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared declared COVID‑19 a global pandemic. Its impact was immediate, far‑reaching and long‑lasting. By 2023, the UK had entered a period of post‑pandemic recovery, but the effects on the STEM workforce are still unfolding.

STEM professionals were central to the global response. From vaccine development and data modelling to public health infrastructure, science and engineering moved into the public spotlight. The crisis reshaped how STEM careers were perceived, and who felt able to see themselves within them. 

This report explores what changed, what endured and what lies ahead. Using pre‑ and post‑pandemic data, we examine: 

  • How COVID‑19 influenced women’s participation in the STEM workforce
  • The impact on the education and qualification pipeline
  • What these trends mean for long‑term gender equity in STEM 

Workforce trends

The pandemic peak

Before COVID‑19, women made up just 23.6% of the UK STEM workforce (December 2019). During the pandemic, that picture shifted. As demand for scientific and technical expertise surged, women’s participation increased steadily, reaching 27% by September 2022, the highest level on record. 

This growth coincided with: 

  • Heightened visibility of STEM careers 
  • Public recognition of women leaders in science and engineering 
  • Sustained demand for core‑STEM roles while other sectors contracted 

At a time of furloughs and redundancies elsewhere, STEM roles expanded, and women entered the workforce in greater numbers across all core‑STEM areas. 

Source: Nomis statistics

Post-COVID contraction

The gains were not fully sustained. 

Within a year of the UK easing restrictions, women’s representation in STEM fell by nearly 2 percentage points, dropping to 25.2%. Science and engineering saw the sharpest declines as emergency funding slowed and research activity normalised. In some areas, participation fell below pre‑pandemic levels. 

The data does not point to a single cause. But context matters. 

During the pandemic, many workers prioritised security amid uncertainty. Life plans were paused. Burnout increased. As restrictions lifted, many, particularly key workers, reassessed their priorities, seeking balance, recovery and wellbeing. 

All workforce data is sourced from Nomis Labour Market Statistics. 
SOC code definitions can be found in the WISE SOC code guide.

Where we are now, and what it tells us 

Three years on, the picture is more positive. 

Women now make up 27.2% of the STEM workforce, putting the sector on track to reach the 30% target by 2030. Participation across all core‑STEM areas is now higher than before the pandemic. 

However, representation remains below the pandemic peak. Progress is real, but fragile. 

The key question is no longer whether change is possible. 
It’s how we sustain it. 

To answer that, we must look upstream to education and qualifications.

All workforce data has been analysed using Nomis Labour Market Statistics.

For the full list of SOC codes used, see the WISE SOC code guide.

Students and the pipeline 

A shift in perception 

The pandemic reshaped how STEM is seen by younger generations. Girls witnessed the real‑world impact of science and technology on global health and resilience, often for the first time. 

But their educational experience was profoundly disrupted. 

GCSE and A‑level exams were cancelled. Learning moved online. Practical experience was limited. Many students delayed or deferred entry into higher education. 

A study by STEM Women found that 65% of female STEM graduates felt their career prospects were affected by COVID‑19, citing delayed study, lost work experience and reduced access to hands‑on learning.

Source: Institute of Student Employers. 

Strengthening the pipeline 

The effects are only now becoming visible. 

Students whose qualifications were disrupted are beginning to enter the workforce. Encouragingly, Higher Education data shows more women achieving STEM qualifications across every core‑STEM subject. 

This is reinforced at A‑level: 

  • Total female STEM entries increased by 14% between 2019 and 2025 
  • Computing entries rose by 149% 
  • Physics entries increased by 23% 
  • Further Maths increased by 26% 

Despite unprecedented disruption, the pipeline has strengthened. The task now is conversion, turning interest into careers through clear pathways, support and opportunity.

A level data is provided by JCQ.
Subject 2019 (number of girls) 2025 (number of girls) Increase (%)
Maths 35,605 41,883 18%
Biology 43,555 45,891 5%
Chemistry 31,757 35,578 12%
Physics 8,799 10,841 23%
Further Maths 4,147 5,216 26%
Computing 1,475 3,679 149%
Total STEM entry 130,121 148,889 14%

Industry change and future direction 

New ways of working 

COVID‑19 accelerated changes that are now reshaping the world of work. 

Remote, hybrid and flexible models moved from exception to expectation, dismantling long‑standing barriers linked to location, caregiving and rigid working patterns. For many women, these shifts made STEM careers more accessible and sustainable. 

For organisations, the benefits are clear: 

  • Wider recruitment pools 
  • Improved retention 
  • Stronger inclusion outcomes 

Next‑generation expectations reflect this change. Research shows: 

  • 67% of students expect hybrid working in their first role 
  • 79% would prefer it — with some unwilling to accept fully site‑based roles 

Flexibility is no longer a perk. It’s a workforce requirement. 

A new era for STEM 

Technological change is accelerating. Artificial intelligence, automation and digital infrastructure are reshaping roles, and creating new ones. 

Women are not trailing this shift. They are helping to lead it. 

Since 2019: 

  • Women working as IT professionals have increased by 61% 
  • Computing A‑level participation has risen by 149% 
  • Undergraduate enrolments are up 55% 
  • Postgraduate enrolments have increased by 259% 

The future STEM workforce is being shaped now, and women are increasingly at its centre. 

Higher Education data sourced from HESA Student Statistics (2026). 

Conclusion

The evidence is clear. COVID‑19 created disruption, but also opportunity. 

More women are entering STEM education and careers. Progress is real. But it is not yet secure. Without sustained, systemic action, momentum will stall. 

STEM must do more than invite women in. 
It must build environments where they can thrive, lead and innovate. 

That requires organisations to move beyond intent and focus on delivery: 

  • Measure workforce data and hold progress to account 
  • Design inclusive cultures that support progression 
  • Embed flexible, hybrid working as standard 
  • Invest in outreach, development and transition points 

Women into Science and Engineering (WISE), part of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), works with organisations to turn evidence into action, and ambition into measurable change. 

We don’t just advocate for change. We engineer it.

To find out more about membership or working with WISE, contact WISE@theiet.org.