Tailoring perceived workforce sustainability strategies in the US construction industry

Purpose The construction industry faces chronic workforce challenges, including shortages, high turnover and aging demographics, prompting the adoption of workforce sustainability strategies. However, current approaches employ universal solutions without considering how diverse demographic groups perceive their effectiveness. This gap limits organizations' ability to design targeted interventions, necessitating demographic-specific insights for inclusive practice. This study examines how demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status and ethnicity) and occupational experience systematically influence construction workers' perceptions of the effectiveness of workforce sustainability strategies within a validated eight-dimensional framework. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey of 412 construction professionals was conducted across the United States through a national online survey and on-site administration in Texas, US Participants rated eight workforce sustainability dimensions on a 5-point Likert scale. Kruskal–Wallis tests examined group differences. Findings Results revealed substantial demographic variations in perceived strategy effectiveness. Health and Wellbeing strategies showed consistent differentiation, with older, experienced and Caucasian workers rating them more effective than younger, early-career and Hispanic counterparts. Unmarried employees perceived higher effectiveness than married participants across most strategies, while equity strategies showed universal recognition across all groups. Originality/value This research provides empirical evidence of demographic variations in workforce sustainability perceptions. The findings establish a demographic-strategy perception nexus, extending existing workforce sustainability models. Practically, construction firms should adopt demographically differentiated strategies, including bilingual health and wellbeing programs for Hispanic workers, age-specific safety messaging and flexible formats for workers with caregiving responsibilities, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.