CAUTION: Women at work

Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

It now seems the caution sign displayed at most construction sites declaring that men are at work should be amended to read 'Women at work'.

Data contained in the Statistical Institute of Jamaica's (STATIN) 2009 national Labour Force Survey has revealed that close to 6,500 more women are employed in the sector in the 20-29 age group when compared to their once-dominant male counterparts.

The STATIN survey showed that in the age 20-29 cohort, the 46,875 women employed to the construction and installation sector represented 53.6 per cent of the total head count while the 40,517 men accounted for 46.4 per cent.

Douglas Forbes, STATIN's director of surveys, told The Sunday Gleaner that the data had been showing that the employment of women was increasing on a quarterly basis, and more so than the number of men who were being employed to the construction and installation sector.

"A higher percentage of women are moving into that sector than men," he said.

Milton Baker, managing director of Ancar Partners and Investment Limited, said he was not taken aback by the data because he had noticed the shift in the sector since the 1980s.

Baker, who has some 50 years' experience in the sector, pointed out that many of the women coming into the sector were more qualified than their male counterparts and were more willing to learn.

"It doesn't surprise me. The men are copping out while the women are going for higher education. They (men) feel that because they get a degree or diploma, it is the be-all and end-all. They feel they know it all," he said while making the point that more women are being employed partly because they are easier to work with and don't have a chip on their shoulder like many of the men.

"Males are more inclined to want to dictate to you. They are not in a hurry to follow your established guidelines," Baker added.

not afraid

The veteran builder and construction manager told our news team that women are being trained as electrical engineers and are not afraid to take up a hammer and get the job done. Baker also revealed that in a recent search for a quantity surveyor, he realised that the two females who had applied for the post were more suitably qualified than the males who had applied to fill the vacancy.

As it relates to the installation field, Baker said women were installing air-conditioning units and other equipment.

The STATIN data also indicates a major shift when it is viewed in light of other statistics compiled less than six years ago. The Labour Force Survey for 2005 showed that in July and October 2005, approximately 82,600 and 78,500 men, respectively, were employed on construction sites in comparison to the 1,100 and 2,900 females for the same period.

The data also revealed the crucial importance of the construction sector for youth employment. It showed that more than 30 per cent of all employed youth in this 20-29 age cohort were employed in construction.