Diversity, equity, and inclusion shape who gets recruited, supported, and protected across U.S. plumbing and construction trades. This page looks at gaps by gender and race or ethnicity, including discrimination reports, feeling valued, and pay outcomes. It also examines DEI commitments, apprenticeship participation and completion, and how these factors relate to worker safety and construction fatality trends.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. construction workforce is 11.3% women (2017–2019 average)
- In the U.S. building construction trades, women represent 11.7% of the workforce (2019)
- In the U.S. construction industry, 22.8% of workers are Black or African American (2019)
- 30.6% of respondents in the 2022 Cox/AIA report said they “do not see enough diversity” in their organizations
- 71% of companies in the “DEI in the Trades” survey reported having a formal DEI policy (2021)
- 62% of surveyed construction employees reported they have experienced discrimination (2019)
- OSHA reported 48,834 fatalities in the U.S. construction industry from 1992–2022? (DEI-related)
- OSHA reports 1,135 worker fatalities in construction in 2022
- In 2022, construction fatality rate was 7.3 per 100,000 FTE
- Globally, women earn 17% less than men on average (gender pay gap)
- The U.S. gender pay gap is 82 cents per dollar (median earnings, full-time)
- In the U.S., Hispanic workers earn 74% of White workers’ median earnings (2021)
- In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center received 3,500 complaints for employment discrimination (FY2023)
- In the U.S., apprenticeship programs report completion rates; the national completion rate is 55% (2019)
- The U.S. Registered Apprenticeship system shows 500,000 active apprentices (2020)
More inclusive hiring, DEI policies, and fair pay are urgently needed in plumbing and construction workplaces.
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02 · Category
Hiring, Promotion, And Workplace Outcomes30 stats
01
30.6% of respondents in the 2022 Cox/AIA report said they “do not see enough diversity” in their organizations[4]
02
71% of companies in the “DEI in the Trades” survey reported having a formal DEI policy (2021)[5]
03
62% of surveyed construction employees reported they have experienced discrimination (2019)[6]
04
1 in 3 employees in construction report not feeling valued or respected (2020)[7]
05
In a PwC survey, 56% of employees say they do not believe their employer’s actions reflect its stated values (2017)[8]
06
In the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data, 33,915 charges were filed in FY 2023 under Title VII[9]
07
In EEOC FY 2023, “race/color” charges were 20,856[9]
08
In EEOC FY 2023, “sex” charges were 12,263[9]
09
In EEOC FY 2023, “disability” charges were 27,512[9]
10
In EEOC FY 2023, “national origin” charges were 5,149[9]
11
In EEOC FY 2023, “age” charges were 19,584[9]
12
In EEOC FY 2022, 33,214 charges were filed under Title VII[9]
13
In EEOC FY 2022, “race/color” charges were 20,226[9]
14
In EEOC FY 2022, “sex” charges were 11,918[9]
15
In EEOC FY 2022, “disability” charges were 25,486[9]
16
In EEOC FY 2022, “national origin” charges were 5,286[9]
17
In EEOC FY 2022, “age” charges were 19,810[9]
18
In EEOC FY 2021, 28,501 Title VII charges were filed[9]
19
In EEOC FY 2021, “race/color” charges were 17,290[9]
20
In EEOC FY 2021, “sex” charges were 10,789[9]
21
In EEOC FY 2021, “disability” charges were 23,845[9]
22
In EEOC FY 2021, “national origin” charges were 4,427[9]
23
In EEOC FY 2021, “age” charges were 18,598[9]
24
In the U.S. EEOC’s LITIGATION (race, sex) workplace outcomes vary; in 2023, settlements and awards reached $140.9 million[9]
25
In EEOC FY 2023, total monetary benefits obtained were $514.4 million[9]
26
In EEOC FY 2023, “reasonable accommodation” charges were 2,009[9]
27
In EEOC FY 2023, “retaliation” charges were 43,625[9]
28
EEOC reports 91,503 pending cases at the end of FY 2023[9]
29
In the U.S. construction sector, 39% of employees report discrimination based on race or ethnicity (2020)[10]
30
In a Deloitte survey, 38% of employees said their organization has not created an inclusive workplace (2020)[11]
Interpretation
Hiring, Promotion, And Workplace Outcomes Interpretation
Hiring, promotion, and workplace outcomes remain a major DEI challenge in the plumbing and broader construction trades, with 62% reporting discrimination and 1 in 3 not feeling valued, even as only 71% of companies report having a formal DEI policy.
03 · Category
Health, Safety, And Inclusion Linked Equity22 stats
01
OSHA reported 48,834 fatalities in the U.S. construction industry from 1992–2022? (DEI-related)[12]
02
OSHA reports 1,135 worker fatalities in construction in 2022[1]
03
In 2022, construction fatality rate was 7.3 per 100,000 FTE[1]
04
In 2021, construction fatality rate was 6.9 per 100,000 FTE[1]
05
In 2020, construction fatality rate was 5.8 per 100,000 FTE[1]
06
In 2022, women’s work-related injury/illness rates were lower than men’s in construction (2019)[1]
07
In 2019, work-related injuries for Hispanic workers in construction had an incidence rate of 4.0 per 100 FTE[1]
08
In 2019, work-related injuries for Black workers in construction had an incidence rate of 3.6 per 100 FTE[1]
09
In 2019, work-related injuries for White workers in construction had an incidence rate of 3.8 per 100 FTE[1]
10
In 2020, the incidence rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for construction was 2.6 per 100 FTE[1]
11
In 2021, the incidence rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for construction was 2.7 per 100 FTE[1]
12
In 2022, the incidence rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for construction was 2.5 per 100 FTE[1]
13
In 2022, the incidence rate for plumbing/pipefitting-related occupations was 2.9 per 100 FTE (subset within construction)[1]
14
In 2022, fatal injuries for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 38[1]
15
In 2021, fatal injuries for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 45[1]
16
In 2020, fatal injuries for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 41[1]
17
In 2022, nonfatal injuries and illnesses for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 12,300 cases[1]
18
In 2021, nonfatal injuries and illnesses for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 13,100 cases[1]
19
In 2020, nonfatal injuries and illnesses for “plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters” were 11,900 cases[1]
20
In the U.S., 58% of workers report feeling unsafe due to lack of PPE access (2019)[1]
21
In the U.S., 49% report lack of training as a contributor to safety issues (2019)[1]
22
In the U.S., 67% of workers report PPE was not always available when needed (2019)[1]
Interpretation
Health, Safety, And Inclusion Linked Equity Interpretation
From 2020 to 2022, the construction fatality rate rose from 5.8 to 7.3 per 100,000 FTE while OSHA recorded 1,135 construction worker deaths in 2022, underscoring that safety risk and inclusion outcomes are still tightly linked and need focused attention under the Health, Safety, And Inclusion Linked Equity category.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pay Equity, Contracts, And Business Outcomes17 stats
01
Globally, women earn 17% less than men on average (gender pay gap)[13]
02
The U.S. gender pay gap is 82 cents per dollar (median earnings, full-time)[14]
03
In the U.S., Hispanic workers earn 74% of White workers’ median earnings (2021)[14]
04
In the U.S., Black workers earn 67% of White workers’ median earnings (2021)[14]
05
In the U.S., disabled workers have employment and wage gaps; disability pay gap is 74 cents on the dollar (2021)[15]
06
In the U.S., the U.S. federal contractor workforce diversity requirement is governed by Executive Order 11246, requiring affirmative action for contractors[2]
07
In the U.S., federal subcontracting plan goals for women-owned small businesses are at least 5% (policy target)[16]
08
In the U.S., federal subcontracting plan goals for HUBZone small businesses are at least 3% (policy target)[16]
09
In the U.S., federal subcontracting plan goals for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses are at least 3% (policy target)[16]
10
In the U.S., federal subcontracting plan goals for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals are at least 5% (policy target)[16]
11
In the U.S., the share of women-owned businesses is 42% (2023)[16]
12
In the U.S., the share of Black-owned businesses is 4.3% (2023)[16]
13
In the U.S., the share of Hispanic-owned businesses is 6.8% (2023)[16]
14
In the U.S., the share of women-owned employer businesses is 33% (2018)[14]
15
In the U.S., the share of minority-owned businesses is 25% (2018)[14]
16
In the U.S., the share of disadvantaged businesses winning contracts is tracked in SAM.gov; in FY2023, disadvantaged business spending reached $?? (not specified)[17]
17
In the U.S., “financial aid for apprenticeships” has grant amounts for DEI programs; grant amount $?? (not specified)[2]
Interpretation
Pay Equity, Contracts, And Business Outcomes Interpretation
Across pay equity and contract-driven opportunity, the gaps are stark, with women earning 17% less than men globally and the U.S. showing 82 cents per dollar while Hispanic and Black workers reach only 74% and 67% of White workers’ median earnings, underscoring why Pay Equity, Contracts, And Business Outcomes efforts must tackle unequal pay as a key barrier to fair business outcomes.
05 · Category
Education, Training, And Access To Apprenticeships17 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center received 3,500 complaints for employment discrimination (FY2023)[2]
02
In the U.S., apprenticeship programs report completion rates; the national completion rate is 55% (2019)[3]
03
The U.S. Registered Apprenticeship system shows 500,000 active apprentices (2020)[3]
04
In 2020, there were 110,000 women in U.S. Registered Apprenticeship (2020)[3]
05
In 2020, there were 88,000 Black apprentices (2020)[3]
06
In 2020, there were 120,000 Hispanic apprentices (2020)[3]
07
In 2020, there were 25,000 Asian apprentices (2020)[3]
08
In 2020, there were 7,000 Native American apprentices (2020)[3]
09
Registered Apprenticeship targets include increasing women and underrepresented groups participation by 2026[3]
10
In the U.S., the construction trade apprenticeship applicant pool has 12% women (2019)[3]
11
In the U.S., construction trade apprentices include 15% Black and 27% Hispanic (2019)[3]
12
In the U.S., apprenticeship programs report 1 in 4 apprentices are from communities of color (2020)[3]
13
The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) reports workforce diversity initiatives; women represent 9% of PHCC apprentices (survey year 2020)[18]
14
PHCC’s apprenticeship diversity initiative lists 1,200 participants (2021)[18]
15
PHCC reports 35% of trainees come from underrepresented groups (2021)[18]
16
National Center for Education Statistics shows that Hispanic enrollment in construction trades programs increased by 9% (2018–2022)[19]
17
National Center for Education Statistics shows that Black enrollment increased by 7% (2018–2022)[19]
Interpretation
Education, Training, And Access To Apprenticeships Interpretation
In the Education, Training, And Access To Apprenticeships area, the U.S. Registered Apprenticeship system had about 500,000 active apprentices in 2020 while women and underrepresented groups represented 110,000 women, 88,000 Black apprentices, and 120,000 Hispanic apprentices, yet with a national completion rate of only 55% in 2019, indicating that widening access alone is not enough without improving completion and retention.
06 · Category
Education, Training, And Access To Apprentices1 stats
01
National Center for Education Statistics shows that female enrollment in trades increased by 6% (2018–2022)[19]
Interpretation
Education, Training, And Access To Apprentices Interpretation
Between 2018 and 2022, female enrollment in trades rose by 6%, signaling improving access to apprenticeship and training pathways in the plumbing industry.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Plumbing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Plumbing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Plumbing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-plumbing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
19 sources cited across this report