Saint Louis Job News & Opportunities St. Louis Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in St. Louis, Missouri and Southwest Illinois. St. Louis News Community Info St. Louis Job News St. Louis CitySide Business News St. Charles News Southwest, IL News Fairview Heights,IL Art Gallery News Hotel News Restaurant News Style St. Louis Not Just For Kids   Downtown Map America's Center Busch Stadium Gateway Arch Scottrade Center Laclede's Landing Old Courthouse Union Station Washington Avenue   Metropolitan Map Casinos Clayton, MO Grand Center Grant's Farm Forest Park Kimmswick, MO MO Botanical Garden Soulard St. Charles, MO West Port Plaza Transportation Lambert Airport How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com Demand For Landscape Architecture Services Remains High ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire-USNewswire), February 17, 2008 - The majority of landscape architects remain busy despite trouble in the housing market, according to a survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). More than six in ten firms reported steady or increased work, and nearly four in ten firms planned to hire in the upcoming quarter. The survey asked quarterly benchmarks on key statistics including billable hours, inquiries, and hiring plans, with 319 firms responding. As with third quarter of 2007, the fourth quarter saw the majority of firms staying busy despite larger housing market troubles. Fifty-nine percent of respondents described their billable hours as either "well above average" (six percent), "slightly above average" (25 percent), or "average" (27 percent). Thirty percent said their hours were "slightly below average," and 10 percent said "well below average." When asked to compare Q4 2007 with Q4 2006, 61 percent said their hours were either "higher" (31 percent) or "about the same" (30 percent); 36 percent said that compared to 2006 their hours were "lower." Firms shared their outlook and concerns in the survey as well. One small Midwestern firm said its outlook for billable hours is "improving significantly," while a midsized Northeastern firm said it has "just started receiving much larger commissions." A large national firm said, "The housing market had a major effect on our backlog of work. We are currently developing more relationships with commercial developers." Other firms spoke of their experiences with seasonal construction slowdowns, concerns about inflation and energy costs effecting profit margins, and drought-related problems. New inquiries in Q4 2007 were similarly positive: six percent reported well above average inquiries, 19 percent reported slightly above, 31 percent reported average, and 44 percent reported their inquiries were down this quarter. When asked to compare Q4 2007 with Q4 2006, 56 percent said that their new inquiries were either "higher" (19 percent) or "about the same" (37 percent), while 40 percent said that compared to 2006 their inquiries were "lower." A midsized Southeastern firm summed up its experience: "Given the state of the economy, we have been surprised about the seeming strong amount of inquiries." The strong job market for landscape architects also remained steady. Fully 38 percent of firms planned to hire in the first quarter of 2008, representing little change from those who planned to hire in the fourth quarter of 2007 (40 percent). The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of landscape architects must grow by 16 percent by 2016 in order to meet growing demand for services. The survey asked firms how they are helping to grow the profession, and more than 40 percent reported they actively conduct outreach to school-aged children to promote careers in landscape architecture. The theme of National Landscape Architecture month in April will be "Discover Careers in Landscape Architecture." Archived Stories: Career & Technical Education is Growing and Preparing Students for the Future Office Building Conditions Have Major Impact on Worker Attitudes, Productivity and Motivation Gender Plays Strong Role in Receiving Annuity, Pension Income Presenteeism Puts Companies at Risk, Employers Tell Sick Workers to Go Home Nearly 80 Percent of Workers Remain Confident in Job Security New Year's Resolutions - Should You Quit Your Job in 2008? Help-Wanted Advertising Declined in All Nine U.S. Regions    The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group.