Workforce participation was hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic and is still recovering, especially from the perspective of women. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men have recouped their labor force losses since February 2020 while over 1 million fewer women were in the labor force in January 2022 compared to February 2020.
The contrast between the numbers could be because women have taken on more caretaking responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meantime, women in the workforce still typically earn just 84% of what men earn. However, there is one industry where there is practically no pay gap, with women earning an average of 94.3% of what men earn—construction.
The annual wage in construction is also higher than most other industries. In fact, the average hourly earnings are more than $2 higher per hour than all other private industries, and those earnings are up 5% from January 2021.
Construction is one of the few industries where you can earn a paycheck while beginning, continuing, or completing your education. It’s a job where you can cultivate a well-paying career that provides for your family and learn a lifelong skill set.
There are plenty of different career opportunities in construction to build the places where we work, play, worship, learn and heal. The construction industry needs to attract 650,000 additional workers in 2022 alone to meet the demand for construction services. Women make up only 10% of the industry’s workforce right now.
At ABC Greater Houston, we are committed to putting the best talent on the construction field. Achieving an inclusive and culturally competent workforce that is welcoming to all people—where employees are limited only by their own potential and desire—is the essence of the merit shop philosophy, and that’s who we are.
That’s why ABC Greater Houston formed the LOGIC Committee, whose mission is to represent the interests of women within the construction industry and assist with increasing the quality and availability to women within the industry. LOGIC seeks to assist women who are in the industry through education, community, and networking programs, and provide a channel for women to enter the workforce.
To learn more about LOGIC and ABC’s mission to provide opportunities for women in construction, visit www.abchouston.org.
