Women in Construction & Why More are Joining the Industry
Construction has historically been a male-dominated industry, but this is rapidly changing. There is a fast-rising number of women entering the construction industry and this is fantastic to see at a time when equality is still such a major talking point and challenge. This post will look at the rise of women in construction and why this is currently happening.
Rising Number of Women in Construction
Women make up half the workforce in the UK, but they only account for 13% of construction workers and only 1% of these work on-site. While this is a low number and it is clear that there is a lot of room for improvement, you will find that this figure has risen and will continue to do so in the coming years. While it is a rise, there is more work that needs to be done to address the gender imbalance and also so that businesses can ensure that they are not missing out on the top talent.

The skills shortage of women working in the industry is a primary reason why numbers have historically been so low. There is now a big push to improve on this, which means that now could be a great time to train and there will be many opportunities to capitalise on in the coming years.
Variety
In addition to the number of opportunities that are becoming available in the construction industry, another reason that it is becoming more popular with women is the fact that the work can be varied. Previously, people may have been put off thinking that construction mainly revolves around bricklaying and driving a forklift truck. The truth is that the conduction industry is incredibly varied and there are all kinds of interesting areas to pursue, such as project management and site management.
Good Salaries
You can also make good money in the construction industry and this will always appeal to both male and female jobseekers. As with most industries, you can also climb the ladder to earn more money over the course of your career. If you’re curious to know how much construction site managers earn, then you’ll be pleased to hear they can take home a handsome £47,280 yearly when they are fully trained and have some experience under their belt, which is an amount not to be sneezed at and well above the UK average.
While it is clear that there is still a lot that needs to be done to address the gender imbalance in the construction industry, there are positive signs with an increasing number of women joining the industry in recent years. This is for good reason too as there are plenty of opportunities available, the work can be enjoyable and varied and there is the potential to earn a good salary with career development opportunities.