Architectural Billings Index
 

This is for Jeff (P-O-P), I mean to paste this in another thread but by the time I found the chart I'd lost the thread, so anyway here it is.

Billings by architectural firms for commercial and industrial projects are plunging.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1216162279.jpg

A lot of firms (particularly those over-invested in retail) are hurting. And yes, permitting is down - lots of people being cut.

However, some sectors are doing very very well. I know of three firms local to here that can't hire fast enough right now. . .

It's boom-or-bust. If it's "bust" where you are, you gotta' look somewhere else, that's all. . .

But yes, I completely agree with you that overall fees are down and harder to come by. Everyone (clients) is tightening the belt and trying to get stingier.

Corporate interiors is another very good place to be right now. . .

You don't want to see the chart for Michigan.

I've had the best year in my practice so far - what recession?
It just depends what type of projects you are working on.
Restaurants are still booming, so is high end residential.
I'm also located in a region that's insulated from the more extreme swings of the economy.

I'm sure the #'s for residential are far, far worse. I can't count how many resumes we've received (and round-filed) from people with NOTHING but opportunistic Type V residential work for the last 5+ years. Those guys are getting slaughtered. Guys with solid commercial/industrial credentials are, by comparison, becoming much more valuable. . .

We've actually turned away some work recently because we're too busy right now. Let's hope it stays that way.

Residential is (was) half my business. Just another opportunity to do work, turned nothing away.

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/
http://http://beacheconomist.com/images/NAHBJuly08.jpg

This is interesting...................
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/march-april-magazine-contents/lone-star-rising
http://http://www.american.com/graph...y%20Cities.jpg