50 Years Before Women are Properly Represented in the Workplace, Report Says

Corporate America says, “You go, girl… just not too fast.” 

Despite significant strides and increased senior leadership roles for women, it will be almost another 50 years before their representation matches their share of the US population, according to a report published Tuesday by McKinsey & Company and Lean In.

Glass Ceiling and Broken Rung

In 2015, women held only 17% of C-suite positions. Today, that number is just under 30%. However, progress in the corporate pipeline remains sluggish, particularly at lower levels. The glass ceiling still hampers women’s advancement, but Lean In highlights the “broken rung” issue — the barrier preventing women from being promoted to their first managerial roles:

• For every 100 men who were promoted to a manager position this year, only 81 women were given the same opportunity — a 7% decrease from 2023. That broken rung is even more of a barrier for Black and Latina women, who were given just 54 and 65 manager promotions, respectively, in 2024.
• As a result of those broken rungs, it will take another 22 years before white women reach workplace parity, and more than double that for women of color to do the same. 

What’s Causing the Gender Gap? While many companies have programs aimed at overcoming gender and race obstacles, fewer organizations prioritized these programs this year, the report reveals. Women are also more likely than men to field unwanted comments about their age, race, and disability, contributing to a sense of exclusion and making it harder for them to bring their whole selves to work.

A lack of career movement can also stem from obligations at home. 4 in 10 women with partners say they are responsible for most or all of the household work, and that number has grown since 2016, according to the report. Caretaking and homemaking responsibilities have also contributed to many women having fewer savings and a more limited grasp on financial literacy than men.

McKinsey and Lean In said businesses can build toward better gender equality by providing more flexible hours, managerial training programs, and health benefits like menopause support.