When a person thinks about the average construction worker there is likely a particular type of person they have in mind. In most cases, that particular person is not female – and for a good reason. Until recently, women have made up only a minuscule fraction of a percentage of women in this industry. In 2020 we see that is going to change.

A Brief History of Women in the Construction Industry

Starting in 1985, women began entering the construction industry in larger numbers than ever before. This continued until 2006 when there were a reported 1.1 million women in the industry. In the years since then, the numbers have gone up and down. For example, in 2017 there were 971,000 women in construction, which made up about 9% of all construction employees in the country.

Other countries have seen bigger increases in women in the construction world. For example, Australia is leading with nearly 16% of its construction workers women. Japan is at about 15% and then there are many countries between them and us.

One Option for Getting More Women Involved: Increasing Their Wages and Incentives

If the construction industry is interested in increasing the number of women involved in the industry, one essential thing they can do is to increase wages and incentives. According to the last stats, women make about 95% of what their male counterparts make for the same job with the same level of experience. Everyone involved in the construction field, from private equity companies that fund sites to those that work on them, must insist on equal pay for equal work.

The More Women Work in Construction the More They Will Be Accepted

Women who work in construction have faced discrimination and harassment in the past. This was often due to the fact that they were not accepted in these fields. As more women work in construction and it becomes more commonplace, it will become more accepted and women will not face the same stigma. This can help encourage women not just fall into construction when there are no other options but actively work toward this career.

What Will 2020 Mean for Women in the Construction Industry?

All across the country, job sites are seeing a lack of qualified candidates to work within the field. If these supervisors are wise they will consider actively, directly recruiting women to fill in these gaps. Women are ready to work these jobs, are capable of working these jobs, and are going to work these jobs eventually. It is up to each company to decide when they want to start to take advantage of this increased workforce.

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