At ABC Greater Houston, we are committed to recruiting and upskilling women so we can continue to develop a diverse and inclusive construction industry. There is no better time for women to consider a career in construction, where workforce shortages are a constant concern and new talent is in demand to rebuild our economy and crumbling infrastructure. National construction employment was only 3% below its pre-pandemic peak in February 2020, and in Texas, the construction unemployment rate is 4%.
A recent study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows working women are experiencing the worst effects of the recession because the industries they tend to work in were hit harder by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Forbes, five million women have lost or left their jobs in the past year. In December 2020 alone, the U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs— all of them previously held by women.
While women in the U.S. workforce earn an average of 81.1% of what their male counterparts make, the gender pay gap in the construction sector is almost nonexistent, with women earning an average of 99.1% compared to men. In Texas, the annual salary for a construction pipefitter is $50,320, and pipefitter averages $54,000.
To learn more about career opportunities in construction during 2021 Women in Construction Week, March 7-13, visit www.abchouston.org.
