News story

90% of women plan taking action to alter career

Learning News

A report from Pearson has revealed that nine out of ten women will take steps in the next 12 months to shift their careers and improve their job prospects.

 

The Pearson Global Learner Survey shows that women worldwide are taking steps to change their careers and improve their job prospects as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the global economy.

The poll of 6,000 women in six countries, UK, US, Brazil, India, Mexico and China, found that 68% of employed women worldwide say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them rethink their careers, with 48% of all women planning to change jobs or start working in the next six months. 90% say they will make at least one move in the next 12 months to boost their job prospects or change careers, doing things like searching for new opportunities, updating their CV, or submitting job applications.

Vicki Greene of Pearson's Workforce Division said: "Women are taking control of their own fate, making deliberate moves to be successful, even while continuing to face both traditional and COVID-era hurdles."

"Despite mental health challenges, gender bias, and a pandemic, women are bravely forging ahead to seek out the opportunities they want and deserve."

The report finds that 20% plan to start their own business in the next year. 88% say they want to improve their professional skills; communication, leadership and time management are at the top of this list.

74% believe bias and discrimination are still holding women back from finding work: 65%, 53% and 40% respectively are concerned that age, gender and racial discrimination remain a barrier to women finding a job.

The full report is freely available on Pearson's website: Pearson Global Learner Survey 2021.