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Employment in the construction industry continues to grow as legislation, such as the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IJA), and overall economic trends create increased demand for construction workers (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2023). This anticipated growth and ongoing expansion of the construction industry may serve as an opportunity to build a more representative and equitable construction workforce. Historically, construction occupations employ disproportionately low numbers of women and Black or African American, Asian, and Indigenous workers (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], 2023). Further, underrepresentation of women and people of color is more acute in higher paid and higher skilled construction occupations (EEOC, 2023).

This report, produced under the Apprenticeship Evidence-Building and Administrative Data Research and Analysis portfolios of studies, examines the degree to which representation of women and people of color could be increased in onsite construction occupations and identifies potential strategies employers could use to attract more women and people of color into construction jobs.

The report begins with details on the history of the underrepresentation of women and people of color in onsite construction occupations. Chapter 2 describes an analysis of the onsite construction workforce compared with the workforce of occupations requiring similar job skills. Chapter 3 enumerates and expands on related research questions and recommends potential pathways for future study of the available workforce for onsite construction. Chapter 4 addresses strategies for improving representation within the onsite construction workforce, such as apprenticeship programs and local hiring provisions, and presents an analysis of individuals enrolled in registered apprenticeship programs related to onsite construction. Finally, chapter 5 concludes with a summary of findings across analyses in the report and recommendations for acting on these findings.

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Key Takeaways

• According to the analysis of 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data, nationally, onsite construction occupations employ a substantially lower percentage of women Asian workers, and Black or African American workers compared to occupations with similar job requirements (3 percent compared with 12 percent for women; 1 percent compared with 3 percent for Asian workers; and 6 percent compared with 12 percent for Black or African American workers).
• The 2019 ACS data show that, nationally, onsite construction occupations employ a substantially higher percentage of Hispanic or Latino workers compared to occupations with similar job requirements (36 percent compared with 26 percent). However, the proportion of Hispanic or Latino workers who earn a low wage in onsite construction occupations (57 percent) is higher than the proportions of other demographic groups.
• The workforce of occupations with similar job requirements to onsite construction suggests that increases in the employment of women and people of color are feasible and necessary to ensure more equitable employment in construction at the national, state, and regional levels.
• Given higher proportions of women and people of color in apprenticeship programs compared with the national construction workforce for that occupation, apprenticeship may be promising a strategy for helping members of these groups access and succeed in construction jobs.
• Additional supports, like childcare services, referrals to community services, transportation assistance, housing assistance, and fairer workplace practices are suggested as possible approaches to attract and retain workers from historically underrepresented groups within construction.

Citation

Cody, S., Munkacsy, K., Perez-Zetune, V., Hock, H., Wakar, B., Welch, R., Michaels, M. (2024). Insight Policy Research. Building an Equitable Construction Workforce: Understanding and Increasing the Proportion of Women and People of Color in Construction. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.