Archinect - News

Is architecture heading toward an unemployment crisis?

2020-04-10T09:00:00-04:00

The latest unemployment figures reported by the federal government show staggering job losses across the country in the wake of the COVID-19-induced economic shutdown.

The US Department of Labor reports that 6.6 million Americans filed initial unemployment claims for the week ending April 4, 2020. Adding the latest number with the weekly figures that have been released over the last month, at least 16 million Americans have lost their jobs. The recent job losses have already exceeded those from the Great Recession, and are likely to grow as additional states begin to put additional shelter-in-place initiatives into place, The New York Times reports.

Previously on Archinect: “Update for April 9th: Architect's Guide to 2020's Economy & Business.” Archinect has collected some of our recent economic coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work on most construction projects in New York State has stopped. Image courtesy of StockSnap / Pixabay.

What impact has this staggering job loss had on t...

$2 trillion federal emergency economic aid package has been signed into law, how will it impact architects?

2020-03-27T16:50:00-04:00

The United States Senate and House of Representatives have both passed the CARES Act, $2 trillion economic aid package crafted in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the largest government stimulus in the history of the United States. The historic effort, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday afternoon, bears wide implications for American architecture firms and their workers.

For one, the plan will deliver a one-time $1,200 direct payment from the federal government to most individuals in the country making less than $75,000, with a slew of protections and expanded benefits for people who have lost their jobs or have had their businesses impacted by the economic slowdown put in place to slow the spread of the virus. For individuals, the package also offers relief from certain student debt obligations, as well as allotments for students to receive certain types of aid and income through the duration of the crisis.

The plan also expands who can apply...

Construction Labor Shortage Macroeconomics

2019-08-21T09:48:00-04:00

The No. 1 business issue for home builders, remodelers, and land developers continues to be access to skilled labor. According to NAHB analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, as of April of this year there were 404,000 open construction sector positions. Not only is this level of unfilled jobs in the construction industry at a post–Great Recession high, the current estimate is the highest ever reading for this data series, which runs back two decades.

According to Builder, "the intensity of the labor shortage among builders grew more intense during 2018 and 2019." The challenges of this shortage on the construction industry bring higher costs, delays, and lower output on projects. Economist, Robert Dietz, Ph.D. suggests that, "Wage growth in a sector is ultimately limited by productivity gains. If, to attract new workers, wages are required by supply and demand to rise faster than productivity growth, such hiring does not take place." He says this in turn creates a reduction in output within the industry.

Dietz's contention is that a macroeconomic/historical look at the situation provides reasonable answers. He believes that "lower tax rates and lower interest rates will spark additional business investment, which will in turn attract workers and raise productivity."

Brexit-lash: RIBA announces 60% of U.K. architects have seen projects delayed/cancelled

2017-02-08T07:01:00-05:00

The effects of last summer's Brexit are starting to be measured within the architectural community, and they're dramatic: according to a press release issued by RIBA, in a survey of its members 40% of U.K.-based non British EU nationals are thinking about leaving the country, while 60% of RIBA's members have seen their projects delayed, cancelled, or just plain scaled back. The news isn't all grim: according to the survey, many members are trying to look on the bright side (or at least trying to identify the bright side). As RIBA notes:

From trade agreements with new markets, reform of the UK’s public procurement system and increased public sector and private sector investment, our members have made it clear that with the right decisions the short-term impacts of Brexit can be mitigated, and the UK can position itself as a global facing nation. In response to the concerns and opportunities raised by its chartered members, RIBA has today published a set of five priority recommendation...

Unemployment rates fell in every single state in 2014

2015-03-18T17:23:00-04:00

The broad decline, revealed in a Labor Department report Wednesday, offers the latest sign the labor market recovery kicked into a higher gear in 2014. The declines varied broadly. Unemployment fell the most in Illinois, where the rate dropped 2 percentage points from the prior year to an average 7.1%. The rate declined by 1.8 points in Colorado, North Carolina and Ohio. [...] Unemployment across the entire U.S. fell 1.2 points to 6.2% last year.

For Interns, All Work and No Payoff

2014-02-17T17:50:00-05:00

Call them members of the permanent intern underclass: educated members of the millennial generation who are locked out of the traditional career ladder and are having to settle for two, three and sometimes more internships after graduating college, all with no end in sight.

Bummer: NY Fed Reserve reports high unemployment rates for recent architecture grads

2014-01-06T18:34:00-05:00

The New York Federal Reserve’s latest research report discusses a number of difficulties facing recent college graduates, including unemployment. [...] After dividing the pool into 13 different undergraduate majors, and using data from 2009 to 2011, some academic pursuits proved likelier to land graduates a job. [...] For instance, the unemployment rate for architecture and construction majors was 8%, likely related to the fate of housing-related sectors following the housing bust.

Editor's Picks #273

2012-07-15T11:00:00-04:00

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live". Meanwhile hanque helpfully pointed out "if you look at the RFP they've already been designed."

Archinect’s latest project featured in the Showcase series is the House in Ovar, Portugal, by architect, Paula Santos.

News
NYC launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. The focus being on developing new proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units -- apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations.

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live. I spent a year in a 275 sq ft ...

A Study on Job Seekers' Mental Health

2012-05-04T20:00:00-04:00

According to a new study led by Connie Wanberg, a University of Minnesota professor of organizational and work behavior, the average laid-off worker experiences a gradual improvement in mental health until the 10- to 12-week mark, when the trend reverses. The study found that those participants who reported better mental health tended to conduct more intense job searches, increasing their likelihood of landing jobs.

Here, take a happy pill.

Best Jobs 2012: Architect. Really?

2012-02-29T13:14:00-05:00

With steady migration to Sun Belt states and many baby boomers retiring in the next few years, there should be an uptick in demand for new homes, healthcare facilities, and office buildings. This means the job market for architects should remain solid. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects architect employment growth of 23.1 percent between 2010 and 2020, adding 31,300 more professionals to the 135,400 already-existing jobs in this field.

New study shows architecture, arts degrees yield highest unemployment

2012-01-04T11:59:40-05:00

Recent college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in the arts, humanities and architecture experienced significantly higher rates of joblessness, according to a study being released Wednesday by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Among recent college graduates, those with the highest rates of unemployment had undergraduate degrees in architecture (13.9 percent), the arts (11.1 percent) and the humanities (9.4 percent), according to the study.

via mal-practice

Record 46.2 million Americans live in poverty

2011-09-13T13:48:48-04:00

High joblessness and the weak economic recovery pushed the ranks of the poor in the U.S. to 46.2 million in 2010 -- the fourth straight increase and the largest number of people living in poverty since record-keeping began 52 years ago, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.