Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The number of women working in the construction industry rose to around 1.34 million in 2024, with women representing 11.2% of the construction workforce, according to data released in an Eye on Housing report from the National Association of Home Builders.
The rise in women in construction, the highest percentage in the past 20 years, aligns with the increase of white-collar jobs in the industry as a shortage of skilled labor expands and growing the workforce remains a top priority. The increasing participation of women in the construction industry presents an opportunity for future growth.
Most women in the construction industry are employed in office and administrative, management and business and financial roles. Sales and office occupations employed the highest number of women in the industry, with 65.7% of women, or 476,000, working in these areas. Around 521,000 women held roles in management, professional or related occupations, but only took up 18% of all management positions.
The number of women in the construction industry dropped nearly 30% by 2010 following the Great Recession. From 2010 to 2017, the number gradually increased to around 970,000, remaining low. Growth has accelerated in recent years, but additional measures can be taken to increase the number of women in construction occupations like maintenance, production, transportation and material moving, where women only make up 4% of workers.
