It seems to me that a certain historical perspective might be helpful to some of the younger members of the archinect community.

For good or ill, the profession of architecture is subject to the vagaries of the business cycle. As we all witnessed in the 2004 -2008 period, when the economy expands, architectural employment booms, with jobs being plentiful and wages rising with remarkable speed. However, as the economy receeds, architectural employment and wage rates follow suit.

I see a lot of posts here that appear to come from younger members of the profession -- many of you had not emerged from school during the last (post-9/11) recession. Many of those posts seem to suggest the end of the world as we know it.

To be sure, these are tough times and the pain some are feeling is real. But, as the chart below (which looks at employment across the entire economy) points out, what goes down inevitably comes back up.



An easier to read version of this graph can be viewed here: Employment Measures and Recessions

I've personally participated in six of the eight recessions covered by this graph. As painful as the current recession feels, the ones in the mid-70s and the early-80s felt a lot worse and had a dreadful impact on the profession. And yet, I and my friends in the profession during those painful years all survived and, for the most part, prospered during the ensuing decades.

I hope this information helps some of you see the current mess in a broader perspective. Good luck to you all.