The Share of Women in Construction Is at a Record High, but How Did It Get There?

The total share of women in construction is at a record high after rising steadily since 2016, and Hispanic women account for almost all of that growth, The Washington Post reports. The share of Hispanic women holding construction jobs rose 117 percent over the past six years, and the majority of those women work on job sites, not in back-office administrative positions.

As the construction workforce ages and a skilled labor shortage leaves builders and developers without the support needed to complete new projects, companies are working to recruit more tradeswomen to fill gaps and lead the next generation of laborers.

“We’ve experienced an enormous growth of women in construction across the board,” said Rafael Villegas, executive director of the Georgia Hispanic Construction Association. “Way back when, you wouldn’t see a woman in the trades, in upper management, or even running the business. Now, women have a strong presence in every field.”

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