Job openings in construction are at near record levels, with millions of jobs created through the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Inflation Reduction Act. But right now, women are vastly underrepresented in the construction industry. While the number of women entering construction has increased slightly over the past several years, right now, women make up just 11 percent of the industry overall and only 4 percent of workers in skilled trades. These jobs can be among the highest paid for workers without a college degree, and jobs in construction can offer career pathways and sustainable wages and benefits. Secretary Raimondo believes that the investments being made across the country present an unprecedented opportunity to improve access for women to the good-paying construction jobs being created and to help our country meet the increasing demand for construction workers.

In October of 2022, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo traveled to Las Vegas where she announced the Million Women in Construction initiative. This initiative aims to help build a new inclusive American workforce by bringing more women into the construction industry. The announcement was made on October 29th during the Secretary’s keynote remarks at the North American Building Trades Union (NABTU) Tradeswomen Build Nations 2022 Conference.

“Right now, there are about one million women working in the construction industry,” said Secretary Raimondo at the NABTU conference. “I’m here to tell you that together we are going to double that over the next decade to create opportunity for another million women.”

Since launching the initiative, the Department of Commerce has worked across the federal government to ensure everyone – workers, women, people of color, unions, contractors, businesses, and America as a whole – can benefit from the historic investments made in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy, and technology. In April, the Department announced the CHIPS Women in Construction Framework and the first companies to voluntarily adopt the Framework for use on CHIPS-funded projects.

New federal infrastructure investments give states broad discretion on how to integrate workforce development into their implementation plans. Many states are already using their authority to support a more equitable workforce by leveraging procurement, cross-agency collaboration, and creating new workforce training programs that recruit workers from underrepresented groups in construction and underserved communities, but more action is needed in more places. are already using their authority to support a more equitable workforce by leveraging procurement, cross-agency collaboration, and creating new workforce training programs that recruit underrepresented groups and underserved communities, but more action is needed in more places.

Department of Commerce & Federal Partner Resources

• CHIPS Building a Skilled and Diverse Workforce Fact Sheet
• Department of Commerce & Department of Labor Good Jobs Principles
• Department of Labor Blog: 5 Ways Construction Employers Can Create Safer Workplaces for Women
• Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Tools for Building an Equitable Infrastructure Workforce
• Department of Transportation Investing in America: Best Practices to Expand Access to Jobs and Economic Opportunity Through Transportation Infrastructure
• NTIA Childcare for an Equitable Workforce
• Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment in the Construction Industry
• Project Labor Agreements: Best Practices for Both Project Success and Increasing Inclusion of Women in Construction Trades

News and Announcements

• U.S. Department of Commerce Announces Two New Voluntary Company Commitments to the CHIPS Women in Construction Framework
• Commerce Department Announces New Industry Voluntary Pledge to Bring more Women into Construction Industry
• U.S. Department of Commerce Launches CHIPS Women in Construction Framework with Initial Voluntary Commitments from Intel and Micron
• White House Fact Sheet: On One-Year Anniversary of President Biden’s Care EO, the Biden-⁠Harris Administration Celebrates New Progress toward Providing Care and Other Supportive Services for Workers
• Spotlight on Women in the Construction Industry
• Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Continues Push for Higher Paying Careers for Women in the Skilled TradesB
• Secretary Raimondo Calls for More Women in the Construction Industry at NABTU Tradeswomen Build Nations 2022 Conference