Construction industry’s labor shortage could be addressed by tapping into overlooked female workforce

AUGUST 5, 2025 — As the U.S. looks to reshore and rebuild our manufacturing capabilities, countless facilities and factories will need to be constructed to bring the production of goods back to America. But finding enough skilled construction workers to meet the demand for projects across the country remains a major challenge, with the Associated Builders and Contractors estimating that nearly 1 million new workers will be required in the next two years to meet anticipated demand.

Yet despite the urgent need for talent, the construction industry continues to overlook half of the American labor force. Although women make up nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce, we hold just 11% of construction jobs, with even fewer women holding leadership roles in both the C-suite and the field. The good news is that in-demand careers in construction offer a host of benefits, including the ability to earn a six-figure salary without a college degree – and the student debt that goes with it – all while developing valuable skills that can’t be replaced by artificial intelligence.

To overcome this labor challenge, it is critical that we prioritize actively reaching out to women in a more organic, grassroots way through visibility, representation and mentorship to showcase the career opportunities in a construction industry that historically hasn’t done enough to recruit and include them.

I am lucky that I made a late-career switch to a leadership position at top design-build firm Clayco – a company with a truly progressive approach to everything we do, including gender diversity and actively supporting women at every stage of their careers. Not only are one in four of all full-time employees women, but Clayco recognized that my leadership abilities and skillset would have a meaningful impact even though I didn’t cut my teeth in the construction sector.

But the unfortunate reality is that many women who pursue a career in the construction industry aren’t always put in positions to succeed and advance. A recent study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that more than four in 10 women working in construction have seriously considered leaving their jobs because of discrimination, harassment and being held to a different standard than their male coworkers.

One of the most powerful ways to challenge stereotypes and break down barriers is seeing representation in jobs and careers that young people might not normally be exposed to. For example, our Clayco NOW (Network of Women) program supports a host of initiatives geared towards developing the next generation of female construction workers and leaders.

One of those is our annual Bring a Girl to Clayco Day, where our team members bring family and friends to work to seek inspiration and explore career opportunities from women succeeding in construction. I was thrilled to bring my 15-year-old daughter for the first time this year to meet the incredible women who have thriving careers in the construction industry.

In addition to reaching out to and mentoring students charting their career path, it is just as critical to support women entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail in the construction industry. Not only has Clayco established long-term relationships with women-owned businesses – like Kiku Obata, founder of the St. Louis-based, internationally renowned design firm that bears her name – but we also offer mentoring services through weekly calls with women- and minority-owned subcontractors and vendors.

There is no shortage of opportunities for women in construction, be it in the field working on jobsites to engineers, managers and executives who oversee projects from start to finish. At Clayco, we’ve created a culture where women can thrive, and we’re committed to making this an industry wide effort.

To start, we must expose more young girls to the idea that the construction industry and skilled trades are a viable career path while also providing them with role models and mentors so they can see what success looks like. Beyond that, the construction industry needs to change the culture around how women are perceived and treated, both in their day-to-day with male co-workers and managers, but also in terms of the career advancement training and leadership opportunities.

To meet the challenge of rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector, we can’t keep pulling from the male half of our workforce talent pool. If we want to close the labor gap and attract the next generation of construction workers, we must open the door wider and make women part of the solution.