Arch Job Losses

[paddy2005]

Has anybody been affected?

[reddy]

Has anybody been unaffected?!!

The practice I work for has halved in size. I'm clingin on by the skin of my teeth!!

[wearnicehats]

from what I hear I'd estimate that the big 6 firms in dub have let about 400 people go between them this year.

[Blisterman]

Who are the big six?

[SunnyDub]

Jobs could be tough to come by for a long while if this thing is dragged out in an attempt to prop people up. Apparently we're nowhere near fair value in the housing market - house prices should be 12 to 14 times annual rent historically. With builders, banks, general public in denial this thing could go on for a lot longer than it would if the pain and the liquidation of mal-investmnet were just taken up front. It would be sharp and painful, but mercifully short unlike the propping up option which spells 10 years of inactivity...and political chaos no doubt!

"In the US, analysts claim that, in the long run, house prices should be equal to between 12 and 14 times earnings. This means that if a house is generating a rent of $10,000 a year, it must be worth between $120,000 and $140,000 a year.

Apply this test to Ireland. A quick search of Daft.ie will reveal, for example, that a three-bedroom house in Co Wicklow - advertised as an investment property - is on sale for €289,000.

The same website tells us that the average rent for a three-bed in Arklow is €850. So let us say that, in the best possible case, this place is rented for 11 profitable months a year - the final month’s rent goes on various costs. The implication from the American model is that the house is worth about €122,000.

The implication from this, compared to the advertised price of €289,000, is that the house is still wildly overvalued. The Irish calculation means that the house is trading at 31 times its annual yield. This clearly needs to fall dramatically by close to 60 per cent for it to make any financial sense to buy". - David McWilliams, 26th Oct 2008

When opportunity knocks
http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2008/10/26/when-opportunity-knocks

[wearnicehats]

Bkd Rkd Hkr Hjl Omp Ara Etc Etc

for some reason it won't let me capitalise the above

[missarchi]

more job losses in the new year?

[Paul Clerkin]

Lots - hearing about layoffs everywhere

[GrahamH]

I believe the RIAI estimate 50% of architects in Dublin have lost their jobs over the past year or so...

[Paul Clerkin]

yeah in retrospect it was a bad time to start an architects jobs board

[GrahamH]

Then again, it's a very 'liquid' market as a result, and with a captive audience...

[hutton]

Ive heard of one firm that's gone from 16 to 1

[sw101]

i've heard of plenty more that have gone from (pick any number) to zero, with several more following in the next few months.

[parka]

The speed of the jobs losses has been pretty scary

[Paul Clerkin]

Have you been affected by the job losses in the architecture profession? - added poll

[fmcd007]

just got 10% pay cut.. better than the 3 day week but if things don't improve it will be goodbye time!

[zelemon]

HI, i am th first in my firm to be cut, have been here for over three years.
Unfortunately all the places i was banking on like Dubai & Abu Dhabi seem to be stagnant, does anybody know where on this planet there is work for us Architects?

[parka]

HI, i am th first in my firm to be cut, have been here for over three years.
Unfortunately all the places i was banking on like Dubai & Abu Dhabi seem to be stagnant, does anybody know where on this planet there is work for us Architects?

Sorry to hear that. The global market seems a bit grim at the moment.

The AJ just listed the big winners of 2008. There's one Irish firm that's most probably getting a tonne of CV's

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dailynews/2009/01/top_of_the_class_2008.html

[hutton]

Have you been affected by the job losses in the architecture profession? - added poll

RTE Radio 1 1oC news is just about to do a piece about how 4 in every 10 architects here are likely to be out of a job.

I am hoping that this isn't an optimistic estimate

[ctesiphon]

And it's not just architects- I've heard today of half a dozen household names (in an Archiseek way) in the planning and developer spheres that are facing decidedly uncertain futures- 3 day weeks for staff, layoffs, major pay cuts, inability to pay consultants and service providers...

'Limping on' doesn't even begin to describe it.

[Paul Clerkin]

41% of Architects will have lost their jobs by March 2009

A recent survey projected 41% of architects will have lost their jobs in the period between January 2008 to March 2009. This was according to the survey Architectural Practices Employment Survey commissioned by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and conducted by Millward Brown IMS.

Survey findings include:

* 29% of architects have been made redundant in the last year and based on current patterns; this figure is projected to increase to 41% by March 2009;
* 39% of architectural technicians have lost their jobs in the last year and this is projected to increase to 54% by March 2009;
* 38% of architectural technicians outside of Dublin will have lost their jobs from January 2008 to March 2009;
* It is projected that the number of practices employing architectural technicians will decrease by 40% by March 2009;
* 38% of administrative staff in architectural practices will have been made redundant by March 2009;
* 47% of architectural practices reduced their staff in 2008 with only 2% increasing their staff levels.

Director of the RIAI, John Graby, said, “The institute is working on developing information, education and support services for architects and looking at opportunities for them. The RIAI is looking to Government to assist in developing opportunities for the architectural profession.

"A great deal of expertise has been developed within the Irish Architectural Profession over the last 15 years and Irish architects are among the best in the world at delivering high volume, high quality buildings within very tight time frames. Already foreign countries are looking to Ireland to learn from their experiences. There is a significant opportunity for the Irish government to capitalise on this expertise and use it to promote the knowledge of Irish Architects and the construction sector in the international services market.

Mr Graby continued, “We need to examine best practice. Sustainable design needs to be part of normal practice in the built environment. Architects are at the forefront of delivering on this. If our commitments to preventing climate change are to be delivered on, then how we design and make our buildings is a critical factor and we need to put resources into research to ensure that Ireland is leading the drive in this area”.

42% of RIAI registered practices responded to the survey.

[sw101]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0116/1232059653927.html?digest=1

[missarchi]

What about the public vs private comparison? I think it is the perfect time to start a business that has no assets and no expenses bar ISP and Marketing : P...

[sw101]

What about the public vs private comparison? I think it is the perfect time to start a business that has no assets and no expenses bar ISP and Marketing : P...

i'm sure that makes sense in your head. go for it.

[missarchi]

There may be some jobs at the RPA for contract admin if any one is interested...
I'm not one to keep my head down at the moment.
Do let me know:p