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Recession follow-up
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A year later: Retaking the job-market temperature
In March of 2009, we profiled six emerging architects who were laid off as the economy tanked. Encouraged by news from formerly unemployed colleagues who recently landed new jobs and by the infectious optimism in the media, we caught up with our previous subjects and polled a few others on their job situation.
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But did we jump the gun? A study by the AIA reveals that “despite signs that the overall U.S. economy is beginning to improve, nonresidential construction spending is expected to decrease by 13.4 percent in 2010.”
Most of the subjects from the 2009 article are now employed full-time. Nick Loeper quickly resumed work at his previous firm near Philadelphia, and Dave Rizzolo of Rhode Island also returned to his previous position. Jesse Duclos relocated from California to contract with a former employer in Massachusetts, and Brian Jones — who spent a year in Guatemala researching ancient Mayan artifacts as well as building homes for low-income families, designing a bar with an artist friend, and even tending bar — also found work in Massachusetts in the design department of a millwork company. Several others found work with high-end residential firms.
Karl-Eric Larson continues to consult for a firm in New York City. Though he will soon participate in his first group art show, he feels he “hasn’t really accomplished the goals he set out to do” a year ago. The job market in Denver has proved difficult for Scott Gustafson; he landed a job last spring but found himself out of work again in January. He’s still pursuing his own practice, but his firm’s Web site attracts many more job-seekers than paying clients.
Family needs, location, and debt all compound the struggle. When Kristina Iverson was 7 1⁄2 months pregnant, she was (legally) laid off from a large international firm in Washington, D.C. Though she is grateful for the extra time with her son, “It’s difficult to have a newborn and try to job search,” she says. She and her husband, also an architect, hope to remain in D.C., but high living expenses prove challenging.
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