‘Diversity is not illegal’: Women in skilled trades brace for Trump’s DEI rollbacks
Source: CNCB
-
President Donald Trump’s executive orders repealing diversity, equity and inclusion policies could worsen workplace conditions for women in skilled trades, where harassment is common, tradeswomen leaders said.
-
The trades — occupations such as construction, welding and carpentry — have some of the smallest shares of female workers in the U.S., but they offer high salaries and competitive benefits, especially so for those without college degrees.
-
The Trump administration is trying to roll back what it has deemed “illegal DEI” practices, but many nonprofits, including a tradeswomen’s advocacy group in Chicago, are fighting back in court.
President Donald Trump’s executive orders restricting and repealing diversity, equity and inclusion policies bring a rash of uncertainties about what lies ahead for women and other minority groups in the workforce.
These changes create a particularly fraught environment for women in skilled trades — occupations such as construction, welding and carpentry.
Skilled trades offer competitive salaries and benefits, especially so for those without a college education, but they have some of the smallest shares of female workers among all occupations in the U.S., according to a government survey. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, which compiled data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, also reported that in 2023, women comprised 4.3% of workers in construction and extraction occupations, which include construction laborers, carpenters and electricians.
Kina McAfee, who has been involved in the skilled trades for 40 years, said she has seen discrimination persist across the trades. Harassment is common, she said, and at smaller worksites, a tradeswoman will often find herself the sole female worker.
Read here the full article published by CNBC on 27 March 2025.
Image by CNBC
-
President Donald Trump’s executive orders repealing diversity, equity and inclusion policies could worsen workplace conditions for women in skilled trades, where harassment is common, tradeswomen leaders said.
-
The trades — occupations such as construction, welding and carpentry — have some of the smallest shares of female workers in the U.S., but they offer high salaries and competitive benefits, especially so for those without college degrees.
-
The Trump administration is trying to roll back what it has deemed “illegal DEI” practices, but many nonprofits, including a tradeswomen’s advocacy group in Chicago, are fighting back in court.
President Donald Trump’s executive orders restricting and repealing diversity, equity and inclusion policies bring a rash of uncertainties about what lies ahead for women and other minority groups in the workforce.
These changes create a particularly fraught environment for women in skilled trades — occupations such as construction, welding and carpentry.
Skilled trades offer competitive salaries and benefits, especially so for those without a college education, but they have some of the smallest shares of female workers among all occupations in the U.S., according to a government survey. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, which compiled data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, also reported that in 2023, women comprised 4.3% of workers in construction and extraction occupations, which include construction laborers, carpenters and electricians.
Kina McAfee, who has been involved in the skilled trades for 40 years, said she has seen discrimination persist across the trades. Harassment is common, she said, and at smaller worksites, a tradeswoman will often find herself the sole female worker.
Read here the full article published by CNBC on 27 March 2025.
Image by CNBC