Despite the efforts of the actors of the construction industry, one in two women abandoned her work within five years after arriving in the industry.
The final statistics of the Quebec Construction Commission on the statistical portrait of women in the industry for the year 2024 confirm that the abandonment rate of women reaches 52 %, five years after entering the industry.
For comparison, the abandonment rate of men, after five years, reached 32 %.
Even after just a year in industry, the abandonment rate of women reaches 21 % against 13 % for men.
For industry players, the challenge is therefore not only to attract them, but also to retain them, despite the pitfalls they face.
Nevertheless, women make their way in this industry, little by little. They were 7,885 working in industry in 2024, almost 4 % of the total workforce.
They mainly occupy the jobs of painter, carpenter-maneuver, electrician and plasterer.