Women in the construction industry: report.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jessica Caloza

Requires EDD to collect and publish data on women in construction and training capacity, with triannual public reports to inform policy.

Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

#womenintheconstructionindustry #report

AB 2550 (Session 2025-2026) – Women in the Construction Industry: Report

Main purpose and intent

To require the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to collect and report data on women in the construction industry and to assess the capacity of state-registered preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to train, certify, and license women for construction occupations.

The bill aims to improve understanding of the supply, demand, diversity, and training capacity related to women in construction, with periodic public reporting to the Legislature and posting online.

Key provisions and changes

Added Section 9603 to the Unemployment Insurance Code declaring the following data-collection duties for the EDD:

Current supply of women in construction, including women construction workers by specialty.
Geographic distribution of women construction workers by specialty.
Diversity of women in construction (by specialty), including race/ethnicity and languages spoken.
Current and forecasted demand for women in construction by specialty.
Training and educational capacity to produce trained, certified, and licensed women in construction, including:
- Number of educational slots,
- State-registered preapprenticeship and apprenticeship slots,
- Enrollments, attrition rates, and wait times to enter programs,
- Capacity analysis by specialty and geography.
The EDD must work with the Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Apprenticeship Standards to determine capacity and the number of women among construction preapprentices and apprentices in any given year.

Reporting timeline:

On or before July 1, 2027, and every three years thereafter, the EDD must transmit the data report to the Legislature.
The report must comply with Government Code Section 9795 (standard reporting format and confidentiality/procedural requirements).

Public posting:

The EDD must post the report on its internet website after transmitting it to the Legislature.

Who and what would be affected

Affected entities:

California Employment Development Department (EDD)
Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)
State-registered construction preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs

Population focus:

Women currently in construction and those entering construction occupations
Diversity metrics for women in construction (race, ethnicity, languages)
Preapprentices and apprentices in construction programs (specifically tracking women)

Procedural and timeline aspects

Enactment: The bill adds new data-collection duties and reporting requirements to the Unemployment Insurance Code.

Initial reporting deadline: July 1, 2027, with subsequent reports every three years.

Compliance and publication: Reports must be transmitted to the Legislature per Government Code requirements and posted on the EDD website for public access.

Fiscal note: No appropriation is indicated in the bill text (no direct funding provided in the bill; fiscal committee assigned).

Summary tone and purpose

The bill is informational and data-driven, emphasizing transparency about women's participation in construction and the capacity of training programs to expand that participation.

It does not create new programs or mandates for funding but establishes a framework for data collection, inter-agency collaboration, and public reporting to inform policy discussions on women in construction.