Women in Construction . . .
When you think of any male-populated industry, construction is probably the first job that comes to mind.
Of all the people who work in construction, women comprise only a small 10.3 percent of the workforce. Even smaller is the number of female construction workers on the front lines of a job site—there is only one woman for every 100 employees on the field. Considering that women make up 47 percent of all employed individuals, this means that the construction industry is only benefitting from about 1.25 percent of the total female workforce.
These are several factors that explain this enormous gender gap, from unconscious gender bias to the lack of adequate training to overall perceptions of women working in construction, which is traditionally a male-dominated career. Despite these barriers, women continue to build their path in the industry. According to Randstad, nearly one-third of companies promoted a woman to a senior position in 2017.
As construction was expected to grow by 3 percent in 2019 and create almost 2 million new jobs by 2021, companies are looking to recruit more women to bring their skill sets into the field.
So, how are women rising up in construction in 2020?
To answer this question, we compiled key statistics and examined the backgrounds of female leaders from around the construction industry.
Check out the infographic below to learn more.
