Attrition among women employees in tech firms in the country has soared and is at 30% to 40% since December 2022 against the industry’s average attrition of 15%, tweeted Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday (June 27).
Speaking to The Hindu, he said the data was brought to his attention by HR outfits that conducted exit interviews for techies in the city. There has been a 1% to 1.5% dip in the overall share of women in the knowledge workforce since December last year, the Minister stressed.
“Quite worrisome. Women logging out of tech workforce is not good for us,’‘ his tweet further said.
Mr. Kharge said his ministry was keen on finding out the reasons why women in large numbers were quitting. He asked his officials to reach out to several leading IT firms to find out. Expressing concern, he said the trend does not augur well for society, families, economy, and the government.
“The State government is willing to offer any assistance to tech women to help them continue to stay at work. Are they facing challenges at work once they return from maternity leave, or do they require additional training or skill upgradation? We just want to know why they leave,’‘ he said.
Double-income homes create a domino effect and boost economic growth in general, said the Minister. “If lakhs of women quit jobs and stay home, the economy will also suffer, in addition to their households. Women are an integral part of our tech force, and we want to ensure that they stay,’‘ Mr. Kharge said.
The Minister also shared his concerns with Nasscom and asked the industry’s apex body to find a solution to the issue.
