The percentage of engineering bachelor’s degrees earned by women in the United States hasn’t increased much in the 21st century. It actually has risen from 18% in 1998 to 22% in 2018.

The engineering work force has the lowest percentage of women in the job field, at 14%.

Being left out of high-paying STEM jobs is not only hindering women, but companies as well. “Research shows that gender-diverse teams make better business decisions than teams that are all-male,” The Conversation reports.

The Society of Women Engineers reports that over 32% of female STEM majors switch to another major, but why could this be?

30% of women who leave engineering profession cite the workplace environment as the reason.

A 2017 study of over 5,000 women who earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering found that 10% never entered the field and 27% left the profession, according to The Conversation.

“Research shows that when female engineering students are mentored by female peers, they feel less anxious about their ability, have more positive academic experiences and are more likely to stick with STEM as a major,” The Conversation reported.