Women in the Workplace 2024

Women in the Workplace is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America.1 For this 10th anniversary report, we analyzed data from the past decade to better understand progress, decline, and stagnation in women’s representation and experiences. Over the last 10 years, more than 1,000 companies have participated in the study and over 480,000 people were surveyed on their workplace experiences. In 2024, we collected information from 281 participating organizations employing over 10 million people, surveyed more than 15,000 employees, and conducted interviews with people of diverse identities, including women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities.2 In 2015, LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company launched the annual study to give companies insights and tools to advance gender diversity in the workplace.

As we reflect on what’s happened in corporate America over the last decade, three things are true. Companies took action, and this led to important progress—more women in leadership, better policies for employees, and increased efforts to foster inclusion. Change is hard and messy, and we’re somewhere in the middle of the shifts needed to fix the pipeline and make the culture of work more equitable. If you look closely at the numbers, gains are more fragile and less extensive than they first appear, which means companies need to push further.

Taken altogether, the scorecard for corporate America is mixed, but with enough bright spots to believe many organizations have momentum. We would be cautiously optimistic about the future, if it weren’t for one glaring finding in this year’s study: company commitment to diversity is declining. At a moment when companies should be doubling down on their efforts, there are early signs they are pulling back.

As we look ahead to the next 10 years of women in the workplace, our ask of companies is simple: keep going. Over the last decade, women have remained ambitious and committed to their jobs. Now, we need companies to stay ambitious and committed to the important work they’ve started. We believe corporate America can do better, and we know women deserve better.