A massive study of almost a quarter of a million US academics showed women are leaving academia at significantly higher rates than men.
They are also leaving for different reasons. While men are more likely to leave because they have been attracted by better opportunities, the number-one reason women cite for leaving is toxic workplaces.
I left academia exactly from these two reasons: toxic workplace and eventually a better opportunity
Their many years of post-secondary education, their training, their research – it all costs money. This money is wasted when they are pushed out of academia.
Source: Press article and the original paper in Nature (for those with access)
The loss of talented individuals due to toxic workplace environments is significant concern.
Indeed!
I don’t quite agree with the statement that the money invested into education and training is wasted money. I am pretty sure it will be paid back in one form or another.
The headline is misleading. The article or chart doesn’t say which academic fields. We don’t know if the departments were scientific
The headline is the title of the Nature paper. I guess, it provides more information. Unfortunately I don’t have access to it.
The chart is about Europe but the press release discusses USA
Is every academic a scientist?
Are we discussing natural science?
I would assume so if it’s Nature magazine
Seems like the comment you were responding to was hidden. Maybe coz it looks AI-generated and/or generic. I didn't see you made the same comment as I did just now.
Why assume talented?
If the least talented are exiting the field then that’s good news
I agree, academia is in a bad place. And indeed, women still have to often choose between starting a family or fighting for tenure. I was lucky not to experience toxicity in my workplace, but I've heard and read it is commonplace.
Not sure about the final quoted claim though. If I ever leave academia, I won't feel this will be wasted. Several of the skills I've acquired are transferrable. And I contributed to science during these many years here. It's like saying, company A wasted money on an employee if said employee goes to work to company B after a few years. In that case, nearly all workers in current times are a waste to companies~~
Yes, I totally agree with you. Also, as I am thinking about it, I would say that the proportion men/women in higher positions could be similar, if not worse, in business.
Are you working in academia? Once I spent some days at KAIST, it was nice there :)
KAIST is one of the best research centers in Korea. I visited once and applied for a permanent job there too, but competition was too fierce ;)
Fierce competition is pervasive everywhere in South Korea 🇰🇷
Except reproduction
Academia is a toxic workplace because there are so few tenure track positions. And fiercely political
The chart is about the academic path in European Union
The authors of the article work in Europe
Good clarification, even though I expect this disparity to be quite universal.
Unless the authors used to work in USA and left for greener pastures in Europe. But they don’t mention that