Comment by Frypa

> Could it also be that there is still a bit of a stigma in male circles, for that type of work?

No it's not. You are actually considered a genius if you work in STEM in general

> sitting at your desk "playing" with computers is probably not respected as much as elsewhere.

I'd say this changed in the last decade a lot. But there is a difference between sitting home playing video games while jobless and working in STEM.