Page 22 - Builder Brief October 2025

T R E N D S
WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION REACH HIGHEST
SHARE IN TWO DECADES
In 2024, the number of women employed in the
construction industry rose to around 1.34 million.
Women now represent 11.2% of the construction
workforce, the highest share in the past 20 years.
This rise aligns with the growing presence of white-
collar jobs in the industry. As the industry continues to
face a persistent shortage of skilled labor, expanding
the workforce remains one of the top priorities of the
industry. Increasing the participation of women into
the construction labor force represents a potential
opportunity for future growth. This article examines the
role of women in construction using labor force statistics
from the Current Population Survey (CPS).
The Great Recession brought a sharp contraction in
the number of women working in construction, dropping
by nearly 30% to 807,000 by 2010. From 2010 to 2017,
the number gradually rose to around 970,000 but
remained below the peak of pre-recession levels. In
recent years, however, growth has accelerated, with the
number of women in construction reaching a record of
1.34 million in 2024.
Currently, women make up 11.2% of the construction
workforce. According to the CPS data, most women in
the construction industry are employed in occupations
such as office and administrative support, management,
and business and financial operations. Sales and office
occupations employed the highest number of women
within the construction industry, with women making up
65.7% of these workers. This includes 437,000 women
in office and administrative support, and 39,000 in sales
and related occupations.. Additionally, about 521,000
women held roles in management, professional, and
related occupations, though they only took up 18% of
all management positions.
While construction and maintenance occupations
account for the largest number of employees in
construction and are where additional workers are most
needed, women comprise only 4% (307,000) of such
occupations. Additional steps should be taken to attract
female workers into these high-demand occupations.
Other occupation groups within the industry such
as production, transportation, and material moving
occupations, and service occupations employed only
around 22,000 female workers.
22 OCTOBER 2025 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION