Can Wearable Exoskeletons Reduce Gender and Disability Gaps in the Construction Industry?

2026-02-18

AI Summary

This study addresses persistent gender and disability-based disparities in employment and compensation within the construction industry. It presents the first systematic evaluation of wearable exoskeleton technology as a potential intervention to mitigate these inequities. Leveraging U.S. labor and occupational-level data, the authors develop a model linking physical demand profiles of occupations with workforce representation across demographic groups. Through regression analysis and labor market modeling—integrated with recent engineering advances in upper- and lower-limb exoskeletons—the study assesses the feasibility of deploying such assistive technologies in real-world settings. Findings indicate that women and individuals with mobility or strength limitations are significantly underrepresented in higher-paying construction roles. Exoskeletons, by augmenting strength, balance, and dexterity, show strong potential to enhance their occupational access and promote greater equity in the sector.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Bias, Fairness & Equity

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Trust and reliance of crowd workers and data experts on GenAI
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Fairness-aware retrieval and ranking
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web

Abstract

The share of construction trade jobs held by women and people with disabilities has remained stubbornly low in the face of chronic shortages of skilled labor. This study explores the potential of wearable assistive technologies to reduce these disparities. We use U.S. worker-level data to estimate employment and wage differences by gender and by mobility/strength impairments in construction and non-construction jobs. We also use occupational-level data to examine variations in workforce composition, physical skill requirements, and earnings across detailed construction occupations. Regression estimates indicate that being a woman and having strength and mobility impairments are associated with substantial employment and pay gaps in construction compared to non-construction jobs. Further analysis shows a high negative correlation between the representation of women and the ability levels required in those occupations. Finally, we discuss several wearable exoskeletons under development for people with upper-body and lower-body impairments, focusing on how these innovations could be integrated into construction jobs. These findings suggest that wearable exoskeletons that enhance manual dexterity, balance, and strength may improve the representation of women and people with disabilities in some of the higher-paying occupations in construction.

Problem

• gender gap
• disability gap
• construction industry
• employment disparity
• wage gap

Innovation

• wearable exoskeletons
• gender disparity
• disability inclusion
• construction industry
• assistive technology