Just 13% of construction workforce are women

A study of Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures by general union the GMB has discovered that just 13% of the UK construction workforce are women, with only 3.6% in “blue collar” roles.

The union identifies rigid, non-family friendly organisation of work at site level as a massive barrier to women joining the construction industry. It points to a pilot scheme sponsored by Build UK which trialled flexible working on construction sites. The results, it says, were increased productivity and improved wellbeing of the workforce.

A previous GMB study showed that, at the current rate of growth, gender equality in the construction industry will take nearly 200 years.

“A tremendous amount of work is needed to level the playing field for women in construction,” GMB national officer Charlotte Childs explained. “The whole industry must work to end the disgraceful environment women are subjected to on the shop floor.”

“Nearly a third of construction workers are over the age of 50 – in the next 10 to 15 years half a million workers will leave the industry. Women will be vital to plug that gap and the only way this will be done is with a huge shift in culture.

"The whole industry must work to end the disgraceful environment women are subjected to on the shop floor."

https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/just-3-blue-collar-construction-workers-are-women-gmb-study