Women in leadership roles have declined across Australia

A new report has shown that Australian workplaces coincide with an alarming global trend of declining leadership roles for women.

New LinkedIn data has revealed that Australia is following a damaging global trend, with the rate of women hired in leadership positions being down 8 per cent. Globally, the appointment of women to leadership positions has declined for three straight years, bringing the hiring rate back to 2020 levels.

According to the data, Australian women make up just one in five of the C-suite among Baby Boomers and just under two in five (39.8 per cent) among Millennial leaders. A bright spot was in the Gen Z bracket, where women make up closer to half (44 per cent) of Gen Z leaders.

As the workplace continues to evolve with the growing presence of AI and other technological advancements, LinkedIn data shows that Australian women workers are well equipped to handle these changes.

Australian women workers are up to 37 per cent more likely to have non-linear “multidomain” career paths – equating to almost double the global workforce (20 per cent).

Audrey Lobo-Pulo, head of public policy and economic graph for Australia and New Zealand at LinkedIn, claimed that this non-linear experience bodes well for women workers moving forward.

“As we enter this transformative era of AI, sidelining half of the country’s talent pool risks stalling growth, innovation, and productivity. Aussie women are distinctly positioned on not just the national business landscape, but on the global stage,” said Lobo-Pulo.

“Their multidomain experience makes them uniquely equipped to lead in this new era – yet their representation in leadership continues to decline. They are almost twice as likely as men globally to bring this kind of expertise.”

The data shows that despite making up over 40 per cent of the workforce on average globally, women hold less than a third (28.8 per cent) of vice president or C-suite roles.

Although these statistics are alarming, Lobo-Pulo believes that a pathway forward for Aussie businesses is to look towards women workers if they want to best leverage AI.

“We’ve seen how Aussie businesses are at the forefront of leveraging AI, and it also can foster more inclusive hiring practices and equitable career growth for women. AI has the potential to counter biases and highlight the diverse skills and experiences that women bring to the table,” said Lobo-Pulo.

“By adopting AI-driven, skills-based hiring, businesses can broaden their talent pool and ensure that women are not just participants – but leaders – in the AI economy. This is not merely an equality issue; it is an economic imperative. Women’s unique career paths and adaptive leadership styles are what our evolving economy needs.”