"Future hot jobs": landscape designers

Although the United States added the recent decline in unemployment, but the national unemployment rate remains high. Experts estimate that the recovery of the U.S. job market at least one to two years. Nevertheless, some industries are still optimistic about employment prospects. In today's "future hot jobs" series report, we introduce you: landscape architect.

In the latest round of the U.S. recession, declining real estate and some related industries seriously, slow recovery. However, housing construction and landscape design industry is closely linked, it is indeed very different to see another view.

National headquarters in Washington Society of Landscape Architects (American Society of Landscape Architects), Executive Vice President Nancy Somerville (Nancy Somerville) said:

"For a long time, we see the trend of U.S. homeowners are getting wise to the concept of landscape design. They invest in landscape design more and more. In fact, for the homeowner, in the landscape design of all housing investment is to improve the investment rate of return among the highest one. "

Somerville said that because the real estate downturn, originally intended to sell the owner a lot of wait and see while in the decision to own their houses simply take care of some, to increase the appearance of attractive property (curb appeal), for the market to prepare for a rebound.

Driven by demand in these markets, the United States related to the landscape design industry in the real estate industry called thriving. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics show the latest industry guidelines, from 2008 to 2018 decades, the industry is expected to expand 20%, greatly exceeding the average growth rate of the job market.

The Labor Department reported that with the real estate market rebound, housing starts and existing home renovation restoration will be the main driver of employment growth in the industry. In addition, rising land costs and quality of life of people in the pursuit of land planning and landscape design for higher demands.

American Society of Landscape Architects Nancy Somerville, executive vice president, said that in addition to economic factors, environmental considerations and the increased demand for sustainable building design landscape designers also generate additional employment security.

"The negative impact of land development and environmental issues. However, even in the most crowded urban areas, these problems through better design and planning and to be resolved. Therefore, the sustainability and livability of these two factors continue to More and more communities to promote employment of landscape architects. "

In 2008, the landscape design industry in the United States a total of 20,006 thousand seven hundred jobs. Of these, 51% of the designers worked in construction and engineering company. 6 per cent of people employed in government departments at all levels. In addition, there are about 21 percent of the landscape architect to go it alone.

Nationally, most of the work of landscape architects or urban location in the outskirts of metropolitan areas. Very few work in rural areas, most of them were employed by the federal government for parks and leisure facilities planning.

Landscape design industry in the United States free trade and the highest proportion of new business in an industry. American Society of Landscape Architects Nancy Somerville, executive vice president, said that despite the recent round of economic recession, the industry has gone through a lot of mergers and acquisitions, but she expects a high proportion of free industry will not change the characteristics of the industry .

She said: "This round of economic depression, and landscape design companies there have been many layoffs. As far as I understand it, many people who got laid off simply choose to open their own company. In many cases, emerging companies control costs, price, and customer hand, communication has an advantage over large companies. It is also an intrinsic characteristic of this industry. "

Almost all U.S. states require licensed landscape architect with the industry. This means that designers must be certified by the School of Landscape Architecture Bachelor's degree or higher, adequate work experience, and through the state's landscape architect exam.

In 2008, the United States, the median annual salary of Landscape Architects is 50 008 thousand 960 U.S. dollars