Texas, California, and Florida Lead in Hiring Female Construction Workers

In 2022, around 1.29 million women worked in construction in the United States, accounting for 10.97% of the industry, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.  Within the construction industry, women are more likely to be found in such occupations as office and administrative support, management, business, and financial operations. Only 2.8% of women in construction work in actual trade roles.  Increasing the number of women in construction could help address the current labor shortage problem. This post focuses on the number and the share of women working in construction across different states.

As of 2022, the state with the largest number of women working in construction was Texas (137,000), followed by California (135,000) and Florida (119,000). These three states accounted for 30% of all women employed in the industry. The larger populations and thriving construction industries in these three states provided more opportunities and higher participation rates for women in construction. In contrast, Vermont had the smallest number, approximately 1,800 women in construction, among all 50 states.

Compared to the national average (10.97%), 27 states had a higher concentration of women in construction in 2022. Alaska had the highest share of female construction workers, making up 15.8% of workers in the industry. States like South Carolina, Oregon, and Florida also had a higher concentration of women working in construction, with 14.1%, 14.0% and 13.5% of their workforce, respectively.