Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
A leadership opportunity in the public sector
Diversity & Inclusion | Public Sector
July 3, 2023 – While women continue to be better represented in the public sector than in private companies, they remain underrepresented in top jobs. Senior partner Nora Gardner and colleagues find that women are close to or above parity from the entry level to cabinet and department leader roles in the public sector, but they remain underrepresented in the most senior positions, such as in the secretary’s or governor’s office and in legislature or oversight jobs.
To read the article, see “Making government an even better place for women to work,” May 25, 2023.
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Visual form
Matrix table of pipeline representation.
Layout / body structure
The job levels run from top to bottom on the left, the four demographic columns run across the center, and a fifth comparison column sits on the far right, so each leadership row is read straight across.
What is being compared
It compares public- and social-sector representation by level for White men, White women, women of color, and men of color, and then compares women’s representation in that sector with all companies.
Measurement system
The main grid is expressed as percent by level, and the rightmost comparison column is measured in percentage points.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The chart is organized as a pipeline table with rows for frontline supervisors, midlevel managers, divisional leaders, department or agency top teams, cabinet leaders and department heads, secretary’s or governor’s office roles, and legislature or oversight roles.
Main takeaway from the visual
The grid shows that women are relatively better represented through much of the public-sector pipeline than in other industries, but the highest offices still narrow noticeably rather than sustaining parity all the way to the top.
Key standout values or extremes
The strongest contrast comes at the senior end of the table, where secretary’s or governor’s office roles and legislature or oversight roles sit below the stronger representation seen in the middle of the pipeline.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.