‘Lean In’ circles help women in construction navigate bias

By ALEXANDRA OLSON
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The construction industry is fighting to recruit more women into a sector that faces chronic labor shortages. Women make up only 4% of skilled construction laborers in the U.S. and often face discrimination on jobs sites. The latest initiative to change that culture is Lean In Circle for Tradeswomen, launched by the North America’s Building Trades Unions and Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In advocacy group. About 700 tradeswomen are meeting in 76 small groups in the U.S. and Canada to share strategies on combatting bias.