In today’s construction news, read about the U.S. Census Bureau recently released data showing that women make up just 11.5% of payroll workers in the construction sector. Meanwhile, more than 23,000 builders and contractors are members of the US-based trade association, which stated that in order to meet anticipated activity this year, 439,000 net new workers would be needed, and over 499,000 additional laborers would need to join the workforce in 2026. Lastly, Gabriella Bradley has been named head of US construction casualty by Gallagher.
Vermont Has 8.6% Female Construction Workers, the Lowest in the Nation
Original Source: Only 8.6% of Vermont Construction Workers Are Women, Smallest Share in the U.S.
Construction has traditionally been male-dominated. Only 11.5% of construction payroll employees are women, according to latest Census Bureau data. A promising change is underway. The Department of Labor’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program has invested millions in construction women’s involvement. Women in construction are needed to continue expansion and meet demand due to a major manpower shortfall anticipated to reach half a million.
Female Construction Employment Over Time
Over the years, women in construction have steadily increased.
In recent years, women have become more prevalent in construction, diversifying the business. Female construction employment is rising steadily, notwithstanding women’s underrepresentation in the economy.
Women made about 9% of the construction workforce before 2016. From 2003 to 2015, this number fluctuated between 8.9% and 9.5%. Since 2016, the percentage of women in construction has increased practically every year, reaching 11.1% in 2022 and 11.5% by 2023. This growth is due to industry efforts to address worker shortages and diversity initiatives like targeted training and grants.
Female Construction Workers by Occupation
Women in construction work mostly in offices.
More over 10 million men work in construction, but over 1.3 million women do. The gender gap in employment numbers and roles is clear. Administrators are more likely to be women, while field workers are mostly men.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 80% of construction office and administrative workers are women. More than other vocations in the sector, they focus on professional, sales, and management roles. Fieldwork roles are severely underrepresented by women. Only 4.5% of transportation and 4.1% of construction and extraction jobs are held by women. Women are even underrepresented in maintenance and repair and production jobs, at 2.0% and 3.5%, respectively.
Construction wages by gender
Construction pays full-time women more than other industries; wage inequalities are narrower.
Women in construction earn more than women in other fields. Full-time female construction workers earn $54,044, compared to $52,458 for women in all industries. The wage advantage shows that construction may be a successful job for women.
males in construction earn less than males in other fields. The median annual wage for male construction workers is $56,805, compared to $64,705 across all industries.
A reduced gender pay gap is another feature of construction salaries. At 4.9%, the construction gender pay difference is far smaller than the 18.9% national deficit.
Geographic Differences in Construction Female Employment
Alaska has the most female construction workers.
The construction business is male-dominated nationwide, however women are underrepresented in some areas. Regional disparities in worker dynamics, remuneration, and industry diversity are evident.
Alaska and Hawaii have the most women in construction, 13.8% and 13.4%, respectively. These states may profit from construction’s high earnings, which may attract women. Washington (12.7%), Oregon (12.5%), and Florida (13.3%) and Maryland (12.4%) also have female representation exceeding 11.5%.
Metropolitan patterns are similar. Jacksonville, FL (17.4%), Orlando, FL (16.1%), and New Orleans, LA (14.4%) have high female construction employment. In contrast, Texas, California, and the Northeast have women in construction below 9.5%. McAllen, TX has the lowest female construction workforce of any major U.S. city with 6.7%.
Construction Coverage, a construction insurance guidance website, using Census Bureau data to analyze. Researchers rated locations by female construction employee proportion to find the most women in construction.
Vermont data summary:
8.6% of construction workers are women.
Total female construction workers: 2,250
Total construction male employment: 23,973.
Construction full-time workers earn $57,330 on average.
Here are US-wide statistics:
11.5% of construction workers are women.
Total female construction employment: 1,301,361.
Total construction male employment: 10,064,145
Construction full-time workers earn $56,496 on average.
See Cities With the Most Women in Construction on Construction Coverage for details, methodology, and results.
Nearly 500,000 More Construction Workers Needed in US
Original Source: US construction needs nearly half a million new workers
ABC estimates that the US construction industry needs nearly half a million extra workers to meet demand.
The US-based trade organization, which represents over 23,000 builders and contractors, estimated that 439,000 net additional workers are needed this year and 499,000 in 2026 to meet predicted activity.
ABC estimates that roughly one million extra construction workers will be needed in the next two years, an astounding disparity in a high-activity period.
ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said, “If [construction] fails to do so, industrywide labor cost escalation will accelerate, exacerbating already high construction costs and reducing financially feasible work volume.
“Average hourly earnings throughout the industry are up 4.4% over the past 12 months, significantly outpacing earnings growth across all industries,” Basu said.
If aggressive deportation efforts by the Trump administration drive legal migrant workers to work elsewhere or in another industry, wages could rise even more.
“Potential changes to immigration policy will likely constrain worker availability,” Basu added, citing high immigration figures that boosted labor supply.
Still, Basu said this year’s forecast is better than recent years.
The improvement is due to two main things, he said. First, construction spending is likely to slow for the first time in years in 2025, especially in interest rate-sensitive sectors like homebuilding. Second, for the first time since 2011, the median construction worker is younger than 42.
ABC said it will collaborate with federal officials to close gaps.
ABC president and CEO Michael Bellaman said the outlook was good, but “we still have a long way to go to shore up the talent pipeline.”
“The number of young people choosing a career in construction suggests that using practical technology and innovation in educational programs and on jobsites maximizes construction workforce productivity and efficiency.
ABC’s all-of-the-above workforce development strategy attracts new entrants through hundreds of entrance points and upskills them through industry-driven and government-registered apprenticeship programs.
ABC’s construction spending and employment forecast
ABC stated that its proprietary model calculates the amount. The organization uses historical connections between US Census Bureau Construction Put in Place Survey inflation-adjusted construction spending growth and US Bureau of Labor Statistics payroll construction employment.
ABC then translates predicted construction spending increases into 3,550 construction worker employment per billion dollars. ABC stated its methodology considers job opportunities, unemployment, and industry retirements and exits.
Head of US Construction Casualty Named by Gallagher
Original Source: Gallagher names head of US construction casualty
Gallagher named Gabriella Bradley US construction casualty head.
Bradley will expand the workforce, improve products and services, and grow new business.
Bradley joined Gallagher from WTW, where she worked for seven years in specialist construction roles, most recently as London-based Construction Team Leader for US casualty. She joined WTW in Texas and came to the UK in 2021.
Bradley will work in the UK for Gallagher Specialty Construction partner Brian Denney.
The Gallagher Specialty construction team of over 100 risk professionals insures contractors and owner-controlled programs in commercial, residential, mining, energy, ports and terminals, power, renewables, and transport infrastructure. Some of the major blue-chip construction businesses use the team for complex risk management.
Martin Hiller, CEO of Gallagher Specialty Construction, said the US construction industry is estimated to reach $2.52 trillion by 2030, up from $1.77 trillion in 2023.
Hiller: “Gabriella is a great fit for Gallagher.” She has a solid technical grasp from her UK and US experiences and will help us expand in this particular area of business.”
Bradley said she was excited to join Gallagher. To capitalize on US construction casualty risks, we will grow our London team in the coming months. London and Bermuda insurers want to boost their portfolios in this class. Providing bespoke solutions highlights Gallagher’s client-centric approach, which is vital in the complicated and more litigious risk climate US construction firms face.”
Ben Wathen became chief claims officer, leading the Global Claims Advocacy team. Karsten Luers, Gallagher Re’s regional director for credit, surety, and political risk, joined recently.
Summary of today’s construction news
To sum it up, using information from the U.S. Census Bureau, Construction Coverage, a website that offers construction insurance advice, carried out the analysis. Researchers rated locations based on the proportion of female employees in the construction business to identify the areas with the highest number of women in the field.
Meanwhile, the need for construction workers is then translated by ABC from projected increases in construction expenditures, at a rate of about 3,550 jobs per billion dollars of additional spending. According to ABC, this model’s calculations also take into account the present number of job opportunities, unemployment, and anticipated industry retirements and exits.
Lastly, Ben Wathen was elevated to the position of chief claims officer and will now oversee the organization’s Global Claims Advocacy division. Karsten Luers, meanwhile, recently become the regional director for political risk, surety, and credit at Gallagher Re.
