Women Look To the Trades For Better Pay, Benefits, and Management Opportunities

Jul 1, 2004 12:00 PM

FMI's 2003-2004 U.S. Construction Industry Training Report shows that more and more women are climbing the corporate ladder in the construction industry.

FMI's 2003-2004 U.S. Construction Industry Training Report shows that more and more women are climbing the corporate ladder in the construction industry. The report was distributed to more than 2,000 U.S. construction firms, and almost 25% of respondents saw a rise in the number of women in management and supervisory positions. The report also found that women own 8% of the nation's 2.6 million construction companies, which is a 35% increase since 1997. This is the largest increase of women entrepreneurs in any industry, as measured by the Center for Women's Business Research in Washington, D.C.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 153,000 women worked in the construction trades in the United States in 2001, which is less than 3% of the total national construction workforce of roughly 6.2 million. As set by Executive Order 11246, the goal for women's participation on construction sites is 6.9%. As a result, unions and construction companies are trying to recruit more women to meet this federal guideline and replace retiring skilled workers.