Construction workers continue to log lower vaccination rates than workers in other industries, according to a new survey released by the Silver Spring, Maryland group CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training.
In conjunction with the Delphia Group at Carnegie Mellon University, the CPWR study shows that while an average of 82% of workers in all other fields report being vaccinated, that number drops to 57% for those in the construction industry.
At the same time, while 16% of workers in all other industries said they were hesitant to get vaccinated, 39% of those working in construction felt the same way.
CPWR’s numbers also reveal a variety of reasons for vaccine hesitancy within the industry, with 56% of respondents in mid-July indicating that they didn’t trust vaccines. That numbers has increased from February, when it stood at 44%.
A similarly large number said they distrusted vaccines in general, a number that has also been on the rise since earlier this year.
Also, of those surveyed, nearly 55% said they were worried about the possible side effects of getting a vaccine.
A smaller number, at 23.5%, indicated that they thought vaccines were ineffective, a number that has remained fairly static throughout the year.
The CPWR study shows worker vaccinations rates to be somewhat high in the Southwest, ranging between 51% and 55%; lower in the South; and substantially greater, at 71% and 69%, in California and New York.
As of June, CPWR showed 55% of all construction workers were vaccinated in Arizona and 51% in Colorado. The latest figures for New Mexico were recorded in March, showing 42.1% of all construction workers had been vaccinated.
Despite the lower numbers when compared to other industries, vaccination rates within the construction industry have been on the rise throughout the year, from 1.8% in January to 57% last month.
The construction industry vaccination rate, says the Data Digest, which is published by the Associated General Contractors of America, reveal near-term challenges as “governments and private owners increasingly impose vaccination and testing mandates for anyone on their premises.”
By Garry Boulard