Editing Construction worker (section)

==Definitions==
By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in [[manual labour]] as unskilled or semi-skilled workers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Construction worker definition and meaning |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/construction-worker |access-date=2018-06-09 |website=Collins English Dictionary |language=en}}</ref> These workers begin by attending to general tasks such as digging, cleaning, and unloading equipment. As they gain more experience, they start to specialize in particular areas - for example, roofing, pipefitting, structural work, or carpentry. Over time, some opt to receive certification and undergo formal training to achieve qualifications and promotion.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Construction Worker Overview |url=https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/construction-worker |work=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> In other words, they may be skilled tradespeople, or they may be supervisory or managerial personnel.

United Kingdom safety legislation has defined construction workers as people "who work for or under the control of a contractor on a construction site."<ref name="CDMRegs">{{cite web |title=Are you a construction worker? Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) - What you need to know |url=https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/areyou/worker.htm |website=Health and Safety Executive |publisher=HSE |access-date=22 April 2022}}</ref> In Canada, this can include people whose work includes ensuring conformance with building codes and regulations and those who supervise other workers.<ref name="CCOHS">{{cite web |title=Construction Worker - General |url=https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/occup_workplace/construction_worker.html |website=Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety |publisher=CCOHS |access-date=22 April 2022}}</ref>

=== Demographics ===
Most construction workers are primarily described by the specific level and type of work they perform. [[Laborers]] comprise a large grouping in most national construction industries. In the United States, for example, in May 2023, construction sector businesses employed just over 7.9 million people, of whom 859,000 were laborers, while 3.7 million were construction trades workers (including 603,000 [[carpentry|carpenters]], 559,000 [[electrician]]s, 385,000 [[plumber]]s, and 321,000 equipment operators).<ref name="USBLS-tables">{{cite web |title=May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates - Sector 23 - Construction |url=https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_23.htm#43-0000 |website=US Bureau of Labor Statistics |publisher=United States Department of Labor |access-date=7 January 2025}}</ref> Like most business sectors, there is also substantial [[white-collar worker|white-collar]] employment in construction - out of 7.9 million US construction business workers, 681,000 were recorded by the [[United States Department of Labor]] in May 2023 as in 'office and administrative support occupations', 620,000 in 'management occupations' and 480,000 in 'business and financial operations occupations'.<ref name="USBLS-tables"/>

In 2023, the United States reported that, of the total number of construction workers, 27.7% of workers were Hispanic and around 6.2% were women.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training |title=Hispanic Employment Dashboard |work=Data Dashboard |url=https://www.cpwr.com/research/data-center/data-dashboards/hispanic-employment-dashboard/ |access-date=2023-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |publisher=CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training |title=Women in Construction |work=Data Dashboard |url=https://www.cpwr.com/research/data-center/data-dashboards/women-in-construction/ |access-date=2023-04-14}}</ref> In some economies, there is also substantial self-employment; in the United Kingdom for example, 1.4 million out of 2.25 million construction workers were classified as self-employed in 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 November 2024 |title=Construction statistics, Great Britain: 2023 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/constructionindustry/articles/constructionstatistics/2023 |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=Office for National Statistics}}</ref> In the US in 2015, unincorporated self-employment rates were highest for workers in construction and extraction occupations (14.8 percent).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hipple |first1=Steven F |last2=Hammond |first2=Laurel A |title=Self-Employment In The United States |date=March 2016 |publisher=US Bureau of Labor Statistics |page=11 |url=https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2016/self-employment-in-the-united-states/pdf/self-employment-in-the-united-states.pdf |access-date=7 January 2025}}</ref>

Construction workers can [[colloquialism|colloquially]] be referred to as "hard hat workers" or "hard hats",<ref>{{cite web |title=hardhat |url=http://www.wordnik.com/words/hardhat |work=Wordnik.com}}</ref> as they often wear [[hard hat]]s for safety while working on construction sites.