Women working in technology and financial services face a greater risk of job displacement than their male counterparts as artificial intelligence and automation increasingly reshape the workplace.

A recent report finds that experienced women are also being sidelined due to rigid hiring practices, compounding existing inequalities. Across Europe, meanwhile, between 42% and 66% of workers fear AI could negatively affect their jobs, according to research agency Verian.

The City of London Corporation reports that women in mid-career — typically those with at least five years of experience — are often overlooked for digital roles in technology, finance and professional services, sectors where female representation is already low.

According to the findings, recruitment systems frequently rely on strict and sometimes automated CV screening processes that fail to account for career breaks related to childcare or caregiving, focusing narrowly on uninterrupted technical experience.

To reverse this trend, the report urges employers to invest in reskilling women who currently work outside technical roles, particularly those in administrative positions that are most vulnerable to automation.

An estimated 119,000 office-based jobs in technology, finance and professional services — roles largely held by women — could be automated away over the next decade.

Retraining affected employees could also help companies avoid up to £757 million in redundancy costs, the report suggests. Shifting recruitment focus from prior technical experience to transferable skills and potential could help employers retain valuable talent.

At the same time, the sector continues to lose women at an alarming rate. Up to 60,000 women leave technology jobs each year, citing limited career progression, lack of recognition and inadequate pay.

This exodus comes despite a persistent shortage of technology talent across Europe, where between 500,000 and 800,000 tech roles remain unfilled annually, according to salary benchmarking platform TalentUp.io. Experts expect this talent gap to persist at least until 2035, underscoring the growing disconnect between industry demand and workforce retention.