In recognition of Professional Women in Building (PWB) Week Sept. 13-17, members of the York Builders Association and the YBA WorkforceNOW® initiative are calling for increased efforts to diversify the home building industry, which can help the systemic labor shortage.
According to labor force statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders, the number of women employed in the construction industry grew substantially in 2019, rising to around 1.2 million, surpassing the peak of pre-recession employment level. As the construction skilled labor shortage remains a key challenge, adding new workers is an important goal of the industry. Bringing additional women into the construction labor force represents a potential opportunity for the future.
“One of our goals is to show more individuals how the home building industry can be a great career path and really demonstrate to them all of the beneficial aspects of our industry,” said Laurie Lourie, YBA Executive Vice President. “We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to increase our recruitment efforts to all individuals in our communities.”
“Creating an inclusive and diverse construction workforce is a top priority for our industry,” said NAHB PWB Council Chair Karen J. Schroeder, vice president of Mayberry Homes in East Lansing, Mich. “We want to ensure a welcoming environment to every person who is interested in being part of the home building industry. We all have a responsibility to help build the future of our industry.”
For more information, visit nahb.org/pwb-week. Lowe’s for Pros is the exclusive sponsor for PWB Week.
To learn more about YBA’s WorkforceNOW initiative, visit yorkbuilders.com/workforcenow/
