Engineering Influence from ACEC

A Conversation with the CASE Coalition at the 2022 Fall Conference

Kevin Chamberlain, the Chair of the CASE Coalition - the Coalition of American Structural Engineers - joined the program to update us on what's happening at the group and the issues facing structural engineers.

The ACEC Geoprofessionals Coalition at the 2022 ACEC Fall Conference

ACEC Geopfrofessionals Coalition Chair Jeff Gebhard joined us for an update on the coalition's work at the Fall Conference.

Podcasting from the 2022 Fall HR Forum: The Workforce Crunch

Allison Schneider spoke with Connie Taggart, director of HR with Wright-Pierce and Anne Harney, senior vice president of HR with Collins Engineers about workforce issues. They chatted during the HR Forum ACEC recently hosted in San Antonio.

The Economic Update for September, 2022

Welcome to ACEC’s September economic update. Each month, the ACEC team analyzes the latest industry data and provides insights for the engineering and design industry. 
Correction: Our original podcast noted A/E industry revenues at $140 billion.  The amount has been corrected to $110 billion (9-20-22).
Here are the top 5 things you need to know:
Number 1 – The Q2 2022 total A/E revenues are in and they are at a new all-time high clocking in at nearly $110 billion. This breaks the previous record set just last quarter and marks the 8th straight quarter of consecutive growth. Engineering services led A/E firm revenue growth with a 7.3% increase between the first and second quarters of the year. Architecture services increased by 1.3% from Q1 to Q2.
 
Number 2 – The U.S. Census Bureau reports that total design and construction spending was up 8.5% in July, compared to the same time last year. Key markets that we track showed private residential spending (+14%), private non-residential (+3.1%) and public spending (+3.3%) year-over-year.
 
Number 3 – Turning to the labor market, applications for unemployment benefits fell for a fifth straight week in mid-September to the lowest level in more than three months. That news could mean the need for workers remains healthy despite an uncertain economic outlook – a sentiment we are certainly experiencing in our industry.
 
Number 4 – Inflation isn’t going away. On Tuesday, the government said inflation ticked up 0.1% from July to August and 8.3% from a year ago. As inflation continues, the Federal Reserve is set to meet next week to discuss interest rates. Experts put a nearly 80% chance of a 75-basis-point increase and a 20% chance that the fed goes for a full 100 basis point hike. All eyes will be on that meeting Sept. 20 and 21.
 
And Number 5 – On November 15, ACEC will host a private market symposium in Houston, Texas examining the energy sector. This symposium will bring together clients, economists, a/e firms, policy makers and engineering leaders for an in-depth look at the latest in the energy market. We will also cover certain funding opportunities from the bipartisan infrastructure bill and The Inflation Reduction Act. Head to acec.org for more information to join us Nov. 15th in Houston.
 
There you have it. The economic update series is one of ACEC’s private market resources for media and members.
 

Coverage from the 2022 HR, IT, and Finance Forums: Returning to the Office with Johnathan Allen

Allison Schneider is attending this year's ACEC Fall IT, HR, and Finance Forums in San Antonio, TX this week where she sat down with Johnathan Allen, EVP with JLL Tennant Representation Group to discuss the return to the office for the engineering industry.  
Allison and John discuss the challenges of moving back to an in-office workplace, the cultural divide between management and young professionals, and the necessary HR strategies that will assist firms with the return to normal.

Update on the Housing Market with NAHB’s Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, the National Association of Home Builder's Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis joined Diana Alexander to discuss the outlook for residential real estate development now and into next year.

The August Economic Update from ACEC

Welcome to ACEC’s August economic update. Each month, the ACEC team analyzes the latest industry data and provides insights for the engineering and design industry. 
Here are the top 3 things you need to know:
Number 1 — Total design and construction spending was up more than 8% this June, compared to the same time last year says the U.S. Census Bureau. The category remains driven by private residential and non-residential.
Number 2 — The hottest market in the private, non-residential sector is still manufacturing, which is up nearly 23% from the previous year.
Number 3 — The U.S. economic outlook is mixed when it comes to inflation, jobs numbers, and GDP. With two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth we have, by definition a recession.
However, record job growth paints a brighter picture. The most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics surprised many adding more than half a million jobs in July.
When it comes to inflation, the consumer price index also shows positive movement. The consumer price index or CPI from the Bureau of Labor Statistics  measures the price of everyday goods including gasoline and groceries. The CPI rose 8.5% in July from a year ago. While still high, that’s below the more than 9% year-over-year increase from June.
There you have it. The economic update series is one of ACEC’s resources for media and members.
For a deeper dive, check out all of ACEC’s popular Private Industry Briefs and ACEC’s full slate of private market offerings at ACEC.org.
Thanks, and we’ll see you again next month.
 

The Latest News on the Senate Budget Deal

We were joined again by Matt Reiffer, VP of Transportation Programs  and Katharine Mottley, VP of Tax and Workforce Policy with the ACEC Advocacy team to provide an update on the progress of the Senate budget deal.