Best engineering market (i.e. city for it)? 3

[3doorsdwn]

In your experience, what US city would you say has the best engineering market? I don't live there, but it seems like Atlanta and Houston constantly have demand for our services. Where I live [Greenville, South Carolina], the local companies are highly unstable and constantly flooding the market with people. Of course, that can be the case in other cities, but the companies based here seem to have a "job shop" mentality when it comes to personnel. I'd be surprised if some of them are open 20 years from now [due to the demographics at some of them (i.e. only a handful of people under 50)].

 

[southard2]

Couldn't help but notice that most of those here were structural and mechanical.

Forget Florida. First residential slowed down big time. Us structural engineers hardly took a hit. Then commercial started to slow and now governments are cash strapped. Its been a slow bleed. I keep hearing that things are picking up when talking to various trades and even a surveyor. But I'm not seeing it. The large architecture firms have already gone through a few rounds of lay offs from what I hear. NOW the small and medium sized firms are beginning to lay off people.

On the plus side renovations have been picking up a bit. Perhaps things will pick up. But don't move to Florida thinking your going to get a job unless its something highly specialized.



John Southard, M.S., P.E.

http://www.pdhlibrary.com

 

[TCThornberry]

Not Phoenix, Arizona.

T.C.Thornberry
Mechanical Designer/Drafter

 

[stanford94]

southard2,

i own my own business in FL. 120 employees 2 years ago. 10 today. None by jan 2010.

 

[Rye1]

Just responding to some of the Charlotte posts...we're hurting as well. The larger firms seem to be surviving but the smaller firms and the firms specializing in land development are really struggling.

Robert Billings

http://www.newrivereng.com

 

[RoyTyrell]

I don't see a "turn-around" either. The small firms have gone bust. The big firms have been surviving off backlog which is quickly drying up. Houston is aweful now - top to bottom, PE or no PE. If there is a market that is doing well - it aint here in the states.

Downhill from here. It is ugly.

 

[EQguys]

things are starting to look better here in New Orleans. Corps of Engineers are keeping everybody busy and I don't see a slow down in the next 5-10 years. My 2 cents !

"Does the man make the journey or does the journey make the man" - Mark Twain

 

[weab]

EQ,

I disagree. While the Corps does have significant work here in New Orleans, there isn't much else. There have been recent weeks with 0 ads in the Sunday paper for engineers. Typically, New Orleans and Louisiana are behind the curve of the U.S. I'd suggest things may not have hit bottom here, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I had been working for a New Orleans- based supplier to the oil patch. ... until a couple weeks ago.

Their business is way down, so I'm back in SoFla looking for work.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA