To mark International Women’s Day (IWD) on Sunday 8th March 2015, PwC surveyed 1,400 female millennials in the UK (women born between 1980-1995) to find out how they feel about the world of work and their career.

The report – The female millennial: A new era of talent – reveals that the British female millennial ranks opportunities for career progression as the most attractive employer trait (62%); making her more career confident and ambitious than previous generations.

When it comes to diversity, 83% of British female millennials seek out employers with a strong record on diversity, equality and inclusion – and while they say employers talk about diversity, 66% do not feel opportunities are equal for all.

What’s more, 50% of British female millennials believe employers are too male biased when it comes to promoting employees from within – compared to 43% globally, up 14% since 2011.

Nichola Christison, Director at PwC Isle of Man said:

“Our research shows that we are seeing a new era of female talent with ambitious and highly educated women entering the workforce in larger numbers than any previous generation. But, this is not the only thing that has changed. They also enter the workforce with a different career mind-set.

"They are ambitious and are looking to progress, but are conscious that not all employers will create the right environment for them to do this. If employers want to attract more than their fair share of this talented workforce, they need to show that they are taking diversity seriously.”

The respondents were among 8,756 female millennials interviewed for the survey carried out in 75 countries. 86% of female millennials interviewed worldwide said they are part of a dual-career couple, while 42% earn the same as their partner or spouse.
Female millennials are also more likely to believe they can reach the top level with their current employer, particularly those starting their careers (49%). When asked why they might leave their current employer, 19% of female millennials said they were starting a family and wanted to spend more time at home, compared to 18% of male millennials – making this the sixth most likely reason women or men would leave their former employers.

Female millennials in Brazil (76%), India (76%) and Portugal (68%) are the most confident, while their peers in Japan (11%), Kazakhstan (18%) and Germany (19%) are the least confident. Millennial women in Spain (60%), France (58%) and Ireland (56%) view employers in their country as the most male biased, versus Malaysia (16%) and the Philippines (11%) where female millennials are more optimistic.