Research by the experts at Lensa, a big data analysis provider for the employment and recruitment sectors, has looked at which industries employ the most men and have the most male CEOs. Lensa looked at the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500 list, which consisted of 41 industries. It found that, of these 41 industries, a total of 30 had 100% male CEOs, among other key findings.

In terms of which industries employed the most men, Lensa found that construction is 89% male, out of the 10,030,000 people employed across it. This was followed by mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (84.5%), transportation and utilities (75%), durable goods (74%), agriculture and related (72%), manufacturing (71%), wholesale trade (70%), non-durable goods (64%), information (60.5%) and professional and business services (57.5%).

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Meanwhile, only five industries had more than a 50% female workforce: private households (activities related to the running of households) with a large 87.5% being female, education and health services (74.5%), financial activities (52%), other services (52%) and leisure and hospitality (51%).

In terms of industries with the most male CEOs, Lensa looked at the Fortune 500 list and took the top 100 companies. It found that, of these 100 companies, only 12 had a female CEO. These included those in healthcare (insurance and managed care), healthcare (pharmacy and other services), mail, package and freight delivery, computer services, motor vehicles and parts, specialty retailers, food and drug stores, aerospace and defence, insurance (life and health), insurance (property and casualty) and banks (commercial and savings). 

Lensa also found that the three occupations with the largest gender pay gap were securities, commodities and financial services sales agents, legal occupations and medical scientists.

“Inequality in the workplace is as old as time and it still persists today, despite the efforts of many,” says the report. “The demand for female-led roles has risen, but the pay gap remains stubbornly high, though the inequality is not limited to just pay.

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“Women, especially women of ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ women, face barriers to progression and are more likely to experience inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Men, on the other hand, still dominate many industries. They have an easier time progressing to leadership roles and simply earn a much higher wage for the same job roles. Men are also much less likely to be subject to discriminatory and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.”