According to a new report by the US Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, women are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) compared to men even as the fairer gender accounts for nearly half of the college graduated workforce.

The report cites pervasive gender stereotyping, the absence of role models and the near inexistence of jobs allowing flexibility for families as the main reason behind women’s under representation in these sectors.

The report pointed out that even as 48 percent of the workforce in the country is female only about 24% of women worked in science and technology industries. In science, women make up 40% of employees but makes up just
14% of workers in engineering.

The women in these sectors earned about $31 an hour compared with the $19 an hour earned by women in other sectors, while, the men earn about $36 an hour in the science sector.

Rebecca Blank, acting Secretary of Commerce, said in a statement that, “We haven’t done as well as we could to encourage young people to go into jobs –- particularly women –- which inhibits American innovation.”