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What do you think the unemployment rate is among professional urban planners in the United States? For the sake of argument, let's consider "planners" to include those who graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree in urban planning a year or more ago, and those who would, when asked about their profession, say that they are a planner.
Are you also including planners who have taken jobs in non planning sectors as a necessity and others who have given up looking?
by CPSURaf on Mon, 2010/02/15 - 9:04pm
Interesting. You might as well take into account the underemployed planners as well. (those whom have taken furloughs, etc). Watch that number skyrocket.
by nrschmid on Mon, 2010/02/15 - 9:25pm
I think it's much higher at 30-35%. I think each graduating class of planners and landscape architects is larger than the last, especially since many were coming from other professions. Some students, but certainly not all, might come from other industries, banking, finance, advertising, etc. and feel a need to give back to their community through planning. The media still shows us as a growing profession with "plenty of green jobs" in the future. On areforum.org, architects are guessing their unemployment rate nationwide hovers around 30-40%, with up to 60% in metropolitan areas hardest hit by the housing bust. However, there are about 190,000 registered architects, not to mention even more non-registered architectural professionals, as opposed to 35,000-40,000 planners.
As for underemployed planners, I would guess around 50-60% nationwide up from 30-40% in better times. Was this year's APA salary survey shorter than previous years?
by surfer1280 on Mon, 2010/02/15 - 10:22pm
Raises a few points for me.
First, do you consider people who work for think tanks (smart growth etc.) planners?
Second, the websites recommended in the sticky for jobs, so far, have got nothing. They stink right now. The only thing I can think of is to pick a location I want to work, find 15-20 companies or city offices, and cold call asking if they have work available.
Or I am going to the AAG conference in April and maybe they will have planning organizations at the job booth.
Third, do you have recommendations for a young soon to be graduate as to how to find jobs, because I don't see much right now. I have been going pretty much by the guide on this page.
Fourth, worst case, if I can't get a job, what should I do? Interning, I don't know, I kind of need cash.
by beach_bum on Tue, 2010/02/16 - 12:09am
Based on all the planners I know who are either a) not working in planning, but have other jobs b) graduating in the past year/year and a half and still don't have a job and c) those simply laid off and out of work.
Just under 20%
by Chet on Tue, 2010/02/16 - 12:48pm
Our state conference is in 3 weeks. I checked out the registration web site this morning. 2 day member rate is $199. The rate for unemployed member planners - the first time I have ever seen this rate category BTW - is $42.50.
What about a rate us unemployed planners that are non-members because the dues for APA + State are too high?
by Tide on Tue, 2010/02/16 - 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Chet
Our state conference is in 3 weeks. I checked out the registration web site this morning. 2 day member rate is $199. The rate for unemployed member planners - the first time I have ever seen this rate category BTW - is $42.50.
What about a rate us unemployed planners that are non-members because the dues for APA + State are too high?
The APA has a reduced rate for unemployed planners as does the AICP, I took advantage of it for 2 years. Also for AICP you can get a quarterly exemption from Continuing Education reporting. Look into it, it's on their website but you may have to search for it, I think it was less than $90 for the year with AICP dues included.
by Coragus on Tue, 2010/02/16 - 2:29pm
I went with the 15-17.4% range. This is just a guess based on the volume of attention that job openings around me have gotten in the last year. It's sort of like throwing a steak into a pirahna tank at feeding time.
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Edit: a poll got added. I'll refine that guess to 16.5%
and the National rate of 9.7 % ?
As for underemployed planners, I would guess around 50-60% nationwide up from 30-40% in better times. Was this year's APA salary survey shorter than previous years?
First, do you consider people who work for think tanks (smart growth etc.) planners?
Second, the websites recommended in the sticky for jobs, so far, have got nothing. They stink right now. The only thing I can think of is to pick a location I want to work, find 15-20 companies or city offices, and cold call asking if they have work available.
Or I am going to the AAG conference in April and maybe they will have planning organizations at the job booth.
Third, do you have recommendations for a young soon to be graduate as to how to find jobs, because I don't see much right now. I have been going pretty much by the guide on this page.
Fourth, worst case, if I can't get a job, what should I do? Interning, I don't know, I kind of need cash.
Just under 20%
What about a rate us unemployed planners that are non-members because the dues for APA + State are too high?
What about a rate us unemployed planners that are non-members because the dues for APA + State are too high?