Federal/Government Sector:

The Government is not spending any money on infrastructure projects because they have to pay for the war in Iraq and Billions are going over there for rebuilding. States are being burdened with more costs since the Federal government is not given them their share of the Federal tax dollars and it filters down to the county and local governments too.

Commercial Sector:

Companies are not spending on new projects since the uncertainity of the fate of the illegals, the skyrocketing construction materials costs, higher interest rates and the dead residential market.

Residential Sector:

Well, what can I say. It is dead as a door knob with the exception of a handful of places.

So getting into and being in Civil Engineering for the next 5 years will probably be a bad idea since there will be a glut of Civil Engineers very soon.

Secondly, don’t listen to anyone that tells you that there is a shortage of Civil Engineers.

“Many people have looked for evidence of a current shortage of engineers and they haven’t been able to find any real signs of that evidence,” said Michael Teitelbaum, a demographer for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, said starting salaries for engineers seem generally stable — neither rising dramatically, implying a shortage, nor falling, implying an oversupply. Wulf said the U.S. probably has enough engineers in sum, counting 70,000 to 75,000 graduates each year.

A study released in December by Duke University’s School of Engineering reported that the nation “is currently producing a competitive number of engineers, computer science and information technology professionals.”

Schools push engineering programs because they are money makers for the school since it takes more credit hours to get a degree in engineering than other majors.

There is no mass retirement of baby boomers as predicted. Especially, baby boomers that are professionals like engineers. Most of them are still in their later 50’s and still productive and they will probably will continue to be in the workforce for the next 10 to 15 years at least.

And lastly, Civil Engineers are the lowest paid engineers out there, even though they carry the highest liability burden. Which means of course they pay a ton in O&E and Professional Liability insurance.