Editorial: The High Costs of Sexual Harassment in Construction
Why So Few Women Work in Engineering and Construction
Sexual harassment and predation have overshadowed many of the traditional issues during this year’s contest for the U.S. presidency between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While it would be wrong to suggest that sexual harassment is the main reason construction employs so few women—frequent relocation, inadequate family or maternity leave, and flex-hour policies play a role—it would be equally wrong to rule it out. This is a good time to review the costs.
Women remain woefully underrepresented in construction. Overall, they account for less than one out of 10 people employed in any kind of construction job, according to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Construction trades, where women account for only about 2.6% of staff, lag even further behind. All together, this has heavy repercussions for the industry and the economy as a whole. For example, once a woman is employed in construction, she is likely to earn only about eight dollars for every 10 that a man makes. Ironically, that is a much smaller pay gap than in other industries and a bigger incentive than ever for a woman to embark on a construction career.