b'Business ManagementEEOC REPORT BERATES CONSTRUCTION FOR DISCRIMINATION After a yearlong investigation, the agency says construction stands out from other industries for egregious incidents of harassment.Joe R. Bousquin, Senior Editor at Construction DiveC appingayearofhearingsandfirms to foster a more inclusive work environment for increased scrutiny on and racialunderrepresented people, the 110-page report concluded, discriminationintheconstructionNevertheless, discrimination remains a substantial barrier industry,theEqualEmploymentto entry, retention and advancement of women and people OpportunityCommissionissuedaof color in construction decades after the Civil Rights Act of reportWednesdaylayingbarethe1964 outlawed race, sex and national origin discrimination continued prevalence of hate and biasby employers and unions.on building jobsites. The report broke down the underrepresentation of women The agency called out the appearance of nooses andand people of color in the sector, noting that women hate speech on projects, including references to slaverymake up 11% of all workers in the construction workforce and lynching, while saying the sector stood out from other including office and clerical positionsand 4% of industries for the unique and deplorable nature of thetradesworkers. Black people make up 7% of construction biased actions that occurred toward women and workersworkers, compared to 13% in the general workforce. of color. EEOC received at least 64 charges involvingAnd while Bureau of Labor Statistics data consistently nooses in the construction industry between fiscal yearsshows that around a third of construction workers are 2015 and 2022, the report said. Hispanic or Latino, the report said that within the industrys For years, some of the most egregious incidents ofranks, Black and Hispanic or Latino employees were harassment and discrimination investigated by the EEOCdisproportionately concentrated in lower-paying positions.have arisen in the construction industry, the report said.A vicious cycle of exclusionIn many instances, men of color and women of all races and ethnicities face hostile work environments based onThe report said these types of discrepancies between the race, national origin, sex or some combination of theseindustrys 87% White and 89% male workers contributed characteristics, on jobsites across the country. to a vicious cycle of fewer underrepresented individuals While acknowledging the efforts of some constructionbeing hired for available positions. For years, the sector has struggled to fill open jobs, the number of which 8 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'