Architecture jobs have been soaring more than any other jobs in the creative fields. According to reports, this industry added 670,000 jobs alone last year.
Architecture, which is often a canary during recessions, seems to be a bellwether during the pandemic recovery. When a recession hits, design sectors have traditionally suffered a hard-hitting loss in the past, with real estate developments being put on hold or the need for architectural services paused for the time being. But surprisingly during the COVID-19 pandemic, architecture jobs have been been steady and robust.
The future in architecture
In California, the five creative industries, including fashion, entertainment and the arts, architecture and its related services, were the most sought after and resilient. Nationwide, this industry alone added 670,000 jobs in 2021, which is the largest number in a global financial crisis. From 2019 till April 2021, the number of businesses grew by 8%. Architectural jobs and their related fields like landscape architecture, building engineering, civil engineering, and interior design represent a 30 billion dollar industry in California alone.
According to economist Adam Fowler, a partner at CVL Economics, who authored the report, “There’s such a backlog in supply of both commercial and residential space in a lot of our larger metro areas that have had robust job growth for so long.”
He noted that the demand is especially high for affordable housing and smaller projects. “We are so behind with the price points now for residential in California, I’m constantly asked if it’s a new bubble. No, it’s not. Tragically, no. This is just actual demand,” Fowler reiterates.
The demand for experienced and qualified professionals in the AEC industry is expanding quicker than any time in the past 60 years. Owners, consultants, contractors, and vendors will be vying for top-notch, highly-qualified professionals to meet their staffing demands.
The uptick in architecture jobs will continue to grow, not only in California, but all over the world as more places reckon with the backlog of the development of roads and cities and the need for more affordable housing.
Become a AEC Professional Today
Over the next ten years the “baby boomer” generation in the United States, those born 1946 – 1964, will have largely left their full-time employment status, resulting in significant opportunities for younger professionals to advance their careers. It’s time to get ready to move into positions of greater responsibility and further your career.
At GBRI, we have designed a program called, “Leaning Forward: Best Practices for a Successful Professional Career Series” that helps put participants on track to being ready for, and succeed in, those opportunities. Our instructor, Michael J. Kaleda, P.E., who delivers the program, is a career program/construction management executive with 40+ years of federal, state, and local government experience managing military, school, and transportation projects. He has a track record of organizing, leading, and managing teams to execute projects with favorable results. He will cover material that every AEC professional needs to know to be successful, grow professionally in their architecture jobs, and advance in their career.
Our live sessions will be held via Zoom on 8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22, 8/29, at 12 PM Eastern Time from 12-1PM. So if you are interested in signing up for our Leaning Forward Mentorship Program, register today!
