This penultimate installment of DCI’s exploration of diversity benchmarks focuses on the profile within the
Construction sector (NAICS 23).¹ Like last week’s focus on the Educational Services sector, the Construction sector includes a highly homogeneous set of industry groups.² The employees in this sector include both skilled and unskilled workers. In addition to comparing the Construction sector demographics to the general labor force, this release will draw comparisons between the Construction and other sectors that have been explored to this point.³

Consistent with the series to date, the chart below displays the ratio of representation within the Construction sector to the representation in the overall labor force. The chart presents the results in a standardized way by setting the representation in the general labor force to 100%. As an example of how to interpret these comparisons, a ratio of 44% Black employees indicates that the percentage of that demographic group employed in the Construction sector is 44% of the average Black employee representation in the general labor force. As a reminder, the results are ordered from the highest to the lowest and DCI is only reporting on groups where the representation is greater than 2%.

The Construction sector, like other sectors explored, has a stark gender gap – indeed the most extreme gender gap we have seen to date. However, in contrast to the Educational Services sector where women generally, and women of each race/ethnic category, exceeded their average in the general labor force, women fall far below their labor force average in the Construction sector. In fact, women overall are only 20% of their participation in the general labor force. Prior to the Construction sector, the lowest ratio, of representation in the sector to the labor force participation, of women was 52% in the Transportation and Warehousing sector. Additionally, when considering race/ethnic groups, the lowest ratio for Black and Asian female employees (8% and 10% respectively) was by far lower than in any other sector. In fact, White female employees had the highest ratio (24%) for female employees of any race/ethnic group.

The male participation rates present a different pattern than we have previously seen at the sector level.
White and Hispanic male employees far exceeded their participation in the general labor force at 168% and 283% respectively. However, Black male employees were only 84% of their all-sector average; and Asian male employees fell below the threshold for practical significance at 45% of the all-sector average. So, while male employees predominate, there is a diversity gap specifically for Asian males. Furthermore, when considering just race/ethnic group representation, there is a diversity gap generally for Asian and Black talent in the Construction sector.

As with any comparison to the all-sector average, it is essential to consider the industry groups that comprise that sector. While male employees clearly are the majority in this sector, there is a diversity gap for Asian men, and generally for Black and Asian talent overall, that is the challenge to employers in this sector. In addition, to increase diversity, employers in this sector need to be creative in identifying strategies to attract and recruit more women – of all race/ethnic groups.

In order to understand an employer’s diversity, it is critical to identify useful benchmarks to make employment comparisons and, although there are advantages and disadvantages to many sources, the NAICS’ sector benchmark is useful for a high-level comparison. DCI can assist the industries covered by the Construction sector with more refined benchmarks to identify and mitigate potential employment barriers.