No progress has been made in achieving gender diversity in senior roles within the construction industry.

That was the finding of The Women Count 2018, a report by workplace diversity consultancy The Pipeline.

Lorna Fitzsimons, co-founder of The Pipeline, said: “We are at a critical juncture for gender equality in the workplace, and this report has issued a stark warning.”

The report tracks the number of women executive committees of FTSE 350 – the largest 350 businesses on the London Stock Exchange.

The results for the construction sector were:

• 13% representation of women on executive committees

• 4% representation of women in profit and loss roles on executive committees

• 7% representation of women as Executive Directors on their boards

There was also a clear economic advantage for companies that were more inclusive of women, says The Pipeline. FTSE 350 companies with no women on their executive committee only achieve an average 8.9% net profit margin. Where at least a quarter of members of executive committees were female, average net profit margins rose by 5%, to 13.9%.

Fitzsimmons said: “This doesn’t just fail women but it fails us all and our economy too.

The Women Count 2018 report lays bare how the lack of women in senior roles hits companies’ bottom lines – limiting the profitability of leading businesses and, in turn, hurting UK plc in the pocket.”