Since 2016, the number of women in construction has been steadily increasing and has now reached an all-time high. The industry has had a continued high demand for workers and within the past few years, employers and labor groups have been removing obstacles in order to broaden the selection of workers in the trades.
Although these obstacles have been lowered significantly, experts have explained that women are typically harder to recruit due to less experience and often require more flexible hours for childcare considerations. To combat this, experts say companies should set goals for diversity hiring and focus on inclusion and safety. Many women don’t see construction as a career option so it’s important to show them that women already have a place on the jobsite. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo revealed the Million Women in Construction Initiative. This initiative has a goal of doubling the number of women in construction, from 1 million to 2 million, in the next 10 years. With more efforts being put into place, we hope to see the continuing rise of women in the trades.
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