Women’s progress into leadership is stuck in neutral in 2026 — as a low‑momentum labor market slows advancement🚦 In this edition of State of the Labor Market, Kory Kantenga, Ph.D. examines how weak hiring momentum is reshaping opportunity for women across the global workforce: - Why hiring remains well below pre‑pandemic levels across most major economies - Where leadership gaps persist even in industries where women are the majority - How promotion bottlenecks intensify from senior IC to management and from VP to C‑suite Plus, explore why the rapid rise of Chief of Staff roles may offer a critical pathway into senior leadership — even as overall progress stalls. Read the full analysis in this month’s newsletter 👇
Ranjit Singh Bal
1mo
Women’s progress into leadership roles has stalled in 2026 due to slow hiring across global markets. Despite strong representation in some industries, leadership gaps remain, especially at key promotion stages. Limited advancement opportunities and bottlenecks are slowing progress, though emerging roles like Chief of Staff may provide alternative pathways to senior leadership.
What this data doesn't name: the 30% drop from VP to C-suite lands precisely in the decade when perimenopause and menopause are most acute. Organizations are watching women exit at the top of the pipeline and calling it attrition. Some of it is unsupported menopause transitions at work.
Jessica Jensen
1mo
Thank you for sharing this Kory!
Nicole Kyle
1mo
Lots of great data here - thank you
This is so interesting, I've seen a decline in applications and thought it was just my job postings. #applicationfatigue