Women are underrepresented in the US construction industry (approximately 11% of 8.72 million construction workers in 2020, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Compared to men, women construction workers often face hostile work environments, experience more discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment, but less peer support and job opportunities. The labor shortage and increasing demand for the construction workforce make it critically important to identify factors affecting women construction workers’ health and well-being so that more women can enter and be retained in the construction industry.

This research will identify job stressors specifically affecting women construction workers and disclose the mechanism by which personal characteristics (e.g., individual resilience) interact with job demands (e.g., work pressure and interpersonal conflicts at work) in the construction work environment and thus lead to job stress. Data from both construction companies (management at a company level) and construction sites (site management and workers) for guiding intervention and training design for stress management of women construction workers will also be collected. A mixed-method approach, including surveys and interviews, will be used. The research results will significantly benefit the construction community as we aim to develop stress reduction interventions as well as pre-work trainings for women construction workers using our findings.

Study Highlights

Job stress hits women construction workers hard

Job stressors of women construction workers will be identified, and evidence will be gathered to guide intervention design for stress management of women construction workers.

Deepen engagement with local construction companies by understanding their motivations for and barriers to promoting mental health

A group of local construction companies will be surveyed to investigate their motivations for and barriers to promoting mental health.