Evidence from California suggests that construction workers face the highest COVID-19 infection rates of any other sector. IWPR’s 2021 survey of tradeswomen across states shows that most construction workers who needed to take leave during COVID-19 had to do so without pay.
Figure 1. The Majority of Tradeswomen Who Needed to Take Leave Due to COVID-19 Did Not Receive Pay.
Respondents to the 2021 IWPR Tradeswomen’s Retention and Advancement Survey who took leave for a COVID-related reason that was unpaid.
Notes: Responses for each reason are limited to respondents who said they needed to take that type of leave without pay. Of all respondents, 43.9 percent needed to take leave for COVID-19 symptoms or to quarantine; 37.6 percent needed to take leave because of school closures or child care reasons; and 38.9 percent needed to take leave to take care of someone with COVID. The survey was conducted online between December 2020 and March 2021.
Source: 2021 IWPR Tradeswomen’s Retention and Advancement Survey.
