I wasn't ignoring them, or at least only as much as you're ignoring the points you're responding to. There's a "hidden" population of qualified workers between

I wasn't ignoring them, or at least only as much as you're ignoring the points you're responding to. There's a "hidden" population of qualified workers between firms hiring and the general population. Comparing the latter two without comparing to the former gives some information, but does not necessarily point to where the disparity occurs. It could be occurring in education, or hiring, or both. Ignore either one at your own peril. Also, your first article is covering a topic that's not even relevant here -- How many STEM bachelors continue to a PhD. That doesn't mean that women are entering nor achieving STEM degrees at a proportion comparable to the general population.