New research from the ESRI–Block W Joint Research Programme finds Ireland has Europe’s largest gender gap in advanced digital skills use at work

February 11, 2026

Labour Markets and Skills
See Publication

Men in Ireland are over twice as likely as women to use advanced digital skills at work, finds new research from the ESRI-Block W joint research programme.

The report launch coincides with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Workers use different types of digital skills in their jobs, ranging from: 

  • basic tasks (such as internet use and spreadsheets), to
  • advanced tasks (including programming, machine learning, artificial intelligence tools, and IT system management).

While gender gaps in advanced digital work are evident across Europe, Ireland stands out as having the largest gap. In Ireland, men are twice as likely to use advanced digital skills at work as women. This raises concerns about the underutilisation of women’s digital skills, despite Ireland’s strong tech sector and high levels of educational attainment.

Key findings include:

  • Ireland has the largest gender gap in advanced digital skills use in Europe. Around 44% of men in Ireland use advanced digital skills in their jobs, compared with just 18% of women. This represents a 26-percentage-point gap, almost double the European average.
    • A key feature of this study is a newly developed Job Digital Intensity Index, which captures the overall level of digital intensity across jobs. The research uses data from the European Skills and Jobs Survey (2021).
  • The gender gap is driven by relatively high advanced digital skill use among men, rather than low use among women. Women in Ireland are broadly comparable to women elsewhere in Europe. Ireland’s large gap arises because men in Ireland are much more likely than men in other European countries to use advanced digital skills at work (44% vs 32%).
    • Women are under-represented in the most digitally intensive jobs. Gender differences are relatively modest in less digitally intensive roles but widen sharply in the most digitally intensive jobs. In Ireland, this ‘digital glass ceiling’ is more pronounced than in the rest of Europe.
  • Differences in digital skill use persist even among comparable workers. Women are less likely than men to use advanced digital skills, even when comparing workers with similar levels and fields of education, occupations, and sectors.
    • Job and sector differences explain only part of the gap. In Ireland, women and men tend to work in different jobs and sectors, particularly in tech-intensive roles, which explains some of the difference in digital skill use. However, a substantial share of the gender gap remains unexplained after accounting for education, occupation, and sector.
  • Across Europe, younger women already face larger digital skill gaps than older workers. Gender gaps in advanced digital skills use are larger among younger workers and are less easily explained by differences in observable characteristics such as education or occupation. This suggests the issue is not a legacy problem among older cohorts and will not resolve automatically over time.

Closing the gender gap in advanced digital skills use will require more than increasing women’s participation in STEM education or occupations. Further research is needed to better understand the role of workplace organisation, including how digital tasks, responsibilities, and progression opportunities are allocated within firms. 

Dr Adele Whelan, Senior Research Officer at the ESRI, commented, “These gender gaps persist even among women and men with similar education levels, fields of study and occupations. This indicates that encouraging women into STEM education and occupations, while essential, will not on its own close the divide. Women are under-represented in the most digitally intensive roles, pointing to a potential ‘digital glass ceiling’ within workplaces.”

“The finding that younger women already face large gaps is a particular concern for policymakers, as it suggests the problem will not resolve on its own and requires targeted action. Addressing these issues is important not only for gender equality, but also for productivity, innovation, and inclusive economic growth in Ireland.”

Professor Joyce O'Connor, Co-Founder and Chair of Block W, commented, “For Ireland, these findings should give us pause. Competitiveness, innovation and resilience depend not only on investment and infrastructure, but on what happens inside workplaces: how advanced digital work is designed and allocated, whose expertise is trusted, and who gets access to high-value opportunities. In an economy facing skills shortages, failing to fully utilise women’s advanced digital capability is an avoidable constraint on growth. Further research is needed on task allocation and progression within firms, and on what interventions positively impact outcomes. This report provides a timely evidence base to inform the Updated National Digital and AI Strategy and wider policy action.”