Women in construction are a minority. Studies have revealed that as many as 93.8% of construction workers are male, and that’s hardly surprising. However, it highlights one of the most drastic gender divides in today’s working world. Even in the modern age, female workers struggle to get their foot in the door of the construction industry that still considers male strength as the be-all and end-all of success.

Fortunately, voices are sounding the cry for more women in the construction industry, and it’s driving more of us to realize that not only can women do great things in construction, but they may also be critical to the industry’s future success. 

With this in mind, this is an excellent time for women interested in starting their training to become familiar with crucial industry resources like this construction industry glossary. But why exactly is the construction world crying out for female workers right now?

The construction workforce shortage

The female workforce should never be viewed as a final resort. Yet, current construction worker shortages are a primary reason this industry needs women to survive. Having a predominantly male workforce isn’t practical in today’s competitive world. In fact, this limited male outlook has undeniably contributed to industry-wide shortages of over half a million vital workers. As a result, everything from commercial construction to domestic building is falling behind. By encouraging young women and men to gain their construction credentials, top-end construction managers can almost double the talent pool and should be able to start bridging employment gaps as a result. 

Making the most of an equal pay industry

The construction industry may be one of the most problematic for gender equality, but it also has one of the smallest gender pay gaps. Women in construction can earn around 95% of what their male colleagues do, compared to national averages of just 81%. While still not perfect and somewhat misleading, considering that there are so few women in construction to benefit, a pay gap of that size is still promising. It will become even more of a notable benefit and a trend-setting example to other industries when more women are around to enjoy it. 

Crying out for employment diversity

A recent survey revealed that organizations with high gender equality perform as much as 15% better than those with a lack of diversity. In construction, an increasingly diverse pool of customers is crying out for more workforce representation, particularly in the now-notorious construction gender issues. As well as bringing some much-needed balance to all-male workplaces and construction sites, more women in construction can mean more appeal to clients, better outcomes, and happier workers. 

Women In Construction: The Takeaway

While there’s still a lot of progress to come for women in construction, the benefits of choosing this industry for a career change in 2024 or beyond speak for themselves. From better pay to an industry that performs better on the whole, it’s past time that the female workforce found its footing here.