A Case Study Application of a Sankey Diagram to Workforce Migration Patterns in Construction and Engineering

A Case Study Application of a Sankey Diagram to Workforce Migration Patterns in Construction and Engineering

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.60164/48mbjwuyj

Authors: Rachel Mosier, Tulio Sulbaran, Olugbenro Ogunrinde, Jared Burgoon

Citation:

Mosier, R., Sulbaran, T., Ogunrinde, O., and Burgoon, J. (2026). A Case Study Application of a Sankey Diagram to Workforce Migration Patterns in Construction and Engineering. Lean Construction Journal 2026 Special Issue CRC-CSCE pp 251-263 https://doi.org/10.60164/48mbjwuyj (Submitted 10Jan2026; Accepted 24Sep2026) www.leanconstructionjournal.org

Abstract:

Question: Can Sankey diagrams be used to identify relevant migrations in the workforce, specifically in construction and engineering?

Purpose: This paper explores the utility of Sankey diagrams in three approaches: First, provides a use case of Sankey diagrams in multiple disciplines, Second, identify uses in construction research, and finally, a case study of implementing Sankey diagrams in construction workforce migration research is provided.

Research Method: An existing database maintained by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics was used as the basis for identifying inflow rates, which represent workers hired, and outflow rates, which denote separation. Python and Jupyter were used to create the Sankey diagram for visualizing worker migration.

Findings: Using a case study, the Sankey diagram is shown to be an effective tool to demonstrate workforce separations, additions, and total workforce over time, making the Sankey an effective way to evaluate and visually represent longitudinal data.

Limitations: Intervention times may not be evident in the Sankey diagram provided, and other data, like gender or age, could help understand which populations leave and when. A comparison of construction dollars, more specifically, the cyclical nature of economic downturns like recessions, was not performed.

Implications: The leaky pipeline has long been used as a metaphor for migration in STEM education, and the Sankey diagram has been used to illustrate actual leaky pipelines. However, this is the first use of the Sankey to describe the migration of the construction and engineering workforce.

Value for authors: This paper illustrates how the Sankey diagram can be used to describe the change and migration of the workforce.

Keywords: Sankey Diagram, Construction Workforce, Engineering Workforce, Leaky Pipeline

Paper type: Case Study