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Career Path Forecast
 According to the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment of architectural engineers (and the architects who work
with them) is strongly tied to the activity of the construction
industry. Strong growth is expected to come from nonresidential
construction as demand for commercial space increases. Residential
construction, buoyed by low interest rates, is also expected to grow
as more and more people become homeowners. If interest rates rise
significantly, this sector may see a falloff in home building.
Current demographic trends also support an increase in demand for
architectural engineers. As the population of U.S. sunbelt states
continues to grow, the people living there will need new places to
live and work. As the population continues to live longer and
baby-boomers begin to retire there will be a need for more
healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and retirement communities. In
education, buildings at all levels are getting older and class sizes
are getting larger. This will require many school districts and
universities to build new facilities and renovate existing ones.
 Some types of construction are sensitive to cyclical changes in the
economy. Architectural engineers seeking design projects for office
and retail construction will face especially strong competition for
jobs or clients during recessions, and layoffs may ensue in less
successful firms. Those involved in the design of institutional
buildings, such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and
correctional facilities, will be less affected by fluctuations in
the economy. Residential construction makes up a small portion of
work for architectural engineers, so major changes in the housing
market would not be as significant as fluctuations in the
nonresidential market.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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