Of about 7 million construction industry employees in the U.S., about 182,000 of them—only 2.6%—are women, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates.
That’s about the same amount of women in construction as there were in the 1970s.
But according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women in the trades are paid pretty well—more than 40% in a survey reported that they earn at least $50,000 a year.
So with good pay in an economy creeping out of a recession, why aren't more women turning to trade work?
Harassment
Nearly a third of the 200-plus survey respondents claim they have faced high levels of harassment. But 10% of harassment claims led to formal charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Lesbian and minority women complained of discrimination or harassment three times more often.
Brigid O’Farrell, who co-authored the Institute’s just-released 2013 Tradeswomen Survey, said it’s up to employers, unions, and the government to protect women from workplace harassment.
“Many women we surveyed enjoyed the work and earned good wages, but no one should have to tolerate such hostile behavior at work,” O’Farrell notes in her report.
More than a third of the women in the study report they have been passed over for jobs or assigned fewer hours of work than their male peers, and almost 60% complained that they’re not treated equally when vying for promotions.
Though there is a bright spot in the research: More young women in construction jobs say they have been treated as equals with the men they work with.
Isolation stops some women from sticking with construction jobs. Nearly a quarter of those who responded to the survey said they’re always the only woman on the job. Among non-union workers, 46% complained of isolation; 16% of union members had the same experience.
Outdated stereotypes
Most women, however, never consider working in construction. One reason, according to the study: The lack of women in trades correlates with the lack of an effort to recruit them, an outgrowth of stubborn stereotypes that posit construction as a male-only business.
And some women simply don’t know there’s a place for them in construction. Of the 200 women in the Institute’s survey, just one said she learned about a potential career as a builder from a high school counselor. Two others recalled hearing about it at a job-training center.
The study’s director, Ariane Hegewisch, noted that a growing construction industry might benefit from welcoming more women to its ranks.
Post-recession good news
Indeed, a post-recession recovery in the residential, commercial and government construction sector has created so many jobs so quickly that firms are unable to hire fast enough to staff their jobs.
In August alone, the industry added 20,000 jobs, which boosted employment in the industry to a five-year high, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
At the same time, unemployment among builders and crews fell to its lowest level in seven years, a combination that has builders delaying or turning away projects because they can’t staff up fast enough.
“There is a huge opportunity for getting more women into well-paying construction jobs through better access to career advice and training, and keeping them in the trades through improved enforcement of anti-discrimination and harassment policies,” Hegewisch notes.
Brian Turmail, public affairs director for Associated General Contractors, says the industry is open to hiring any qualified candidate.
"Most of our members are desperate to hire people," he tells USA Today. "They're looking for any candidate who's qualified to come and join the team — women, minorities, veterans."
