A recent study shows working women are experiencing the worst effects of the recession because the industries they tend to work in are harder hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five million women have lost or left their jobs in the past year. In December 2020 alone, the U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs—all of them previously held by women. There is no better time for women to consider a career in construction, where workforce shortages are a constant concern and new talent is in demand to rebuild our economy and crumbling infrastructure. Illinois alone has the need for over 200,000 skilled craft professionals. While women in the U.S. workforce earn an average of 81.1 percent of what their male counterparts make, the gender pay gap in the construction sector is almost nonexistent, with women earning an average of 99.1 percent compared to men.  In Illinois, the annual salary for a construction Craft Laborer is $60,500, and a Carpenter averages $66,720. At ABC Illinois, they are committed to recruiting and upskilling women so we can continue to develop a diverse and inclusive construction industry. To learn more about career opportunities in construction during 2021 Women in Construction Week, March 7-13, visit ABCIL.org.