WESTERN AEC

Market Pulse

The Western AEC Market Is Splitting in Two.

What the latest construction employment data means for hiring across the West.

Download Market Pulse

Construction employment is moving in different directions across the West.

Year-over-year change in construction employment
(seasonally adjusted)

+3.2%

Nevada

116,800 construction jobs
(+3,600 jobs YoY)

+2.2%

Arizona

228,200 construction jobs
(+4,900 jobs YoY)

+1.2%

Oregon

113,700 construction jobs
(+1,400 jobs YoY)

-0.8%

California

886,200 construction jobs
(-6,900 jobs YoY)

-0.6%

Washington

216,000 construction jobs
(-1,200 jobs YoY)

The signal:

This isn't a broad regional slowdown. It's becoming a market-selection problem.

Where we’re seeing the strongest hiring signals.

NEVADA

STRONGEST EXPANSION SIGNAL IN THE REGION

Industrial

Power

Infrastructure

Data Centers

Logistics

Northern Nevada industrial, logistics, data-center and power contractors. Selectively pursue Las Vegas megaprojects, transportation and hospitality infrastructure.

ARIZONA

INDUSTRIAL-MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Semiconductors

Advanced Manufacturing

Electrical / Mechanical

Controls

Utility Coordination

Arizona’s +2.2% annual construction employment gain supports a targeted industrial-market strategy.

OREGON

SELECTIVE OPPORTUNITY

Utilities

Water / Wastewater

Energy

Heavy Civil

Public Works

Positive movement supports selective recruiting rather than a broad general-market campaign.

CALIFORNIA +
WASHINGTON

MORE SELECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES

Specialty Talent

Utilities

Infrastructure

Replacement Hiring

Awarded Backlog

These are more selective markets where project certainty and proven backlog matter.

California added jobs overall. Construction still declined.

+39,400

total non-farm jobs in August

VS

-600

construction jobs month over month

-6,900

construction jobs year over year

What we’re watching: Project certainty, awarded backlog and specialized talent. Statewide job growth doesn’t mean AEC hiring is accelerating.

Data centers are changing the talent conversation.

California’s new data-center framework puts greater
emphasis on utility capacity, water, energy planning,
entitlement and infrastructure responsibility for developers.

POWER

WATER

ENTITLEMENT

ENERGY

INFRASTRUCTURE

This creates demand beyond traditional construction delivery.

Talent to watch:

  • Utility PMs
  • Civil/Site Leaders
  • Electrical Preconstruction
  • Energy & Water Engineers
  • Entitlement Managers
  • Environmental Planners
  • Commissioning Leaders
  • Project Controls

The question isn’t simply:
“Who’s hiring?”.

It's:

“Who has real work, where is it, and what talent does it require?”

That’s the conversation we’re tracking across the Western AEC market.

ParkerBeth Logo

Recruiting built around the realities of the AEC market.

WESTERN AEC

Market Pulse

The Western AEC Market Is Splitting in Two.

What the latest construction employment data means for hiring across the West.

Download Market Pulse

Construction employment is moving in different directions across the West.

Year-over-year change in construction employment
(seasonally adjusted)

+3.2%

Nevada

116,800 construction jobs
(+3,600 jobs YoY)

+2.2%

Arizona

228,200 construction jobs
(+4,900 jobs YoY)

+1.2%

Oregon

113,700 construction jobs
(+1,400 jobs YoY)

-0.8%

California

886,200 construction jobs
(-6,900 jobs YoY)

-0.6%

Washington

216,000 construction jobs
(-1,200 jobs YoY)

The signal:

This isn't a broad regional slowdown. It's becoming a market-selection problem.

Where we’re seeing the strongest hiring signals.

NEVADA

STRONGEST EXPANSION SIGNAL IN THE REGION

Industrial

Power

Infrastructure

Data Centers

Logistics

Northern Nevada industrial, logistics, data-center and power contractors. Selectively pursue Las Vegas megaprojects, transportation and hospitality infrastructure.

ARIZONA

INDUSTRIAL-MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Semiconductors

Advanced Manufacturing

Electrical / Mechanical

Controls

Utility Coordination

Arizona’s +2.2% annual construction employment gain supports a targeted industrial-market strategy.

OREGON

SELECTIVE OPPORTUNITY

Utilities

Water / Wastewater

Energy

Heavy Civil

Public Works

Positive movement supports selective recruiting rather than a broad general-market campaign.

CALIFORNIA +
WASHINGTON

MORE SELECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES

Specialty Talent

Utilities

Infrastructure

Replacement Hiring

Awarded Backlog

These are more selective markets where project certainty and proven backlog matter.

California added jobs overall. Construction still declined.

+39,400

total non-farm jobs in August

VS

-600

construction jobs month over month

-6,900

construction jobs year over year

What we’re watching: Project certainty, awarded backlog and specialized talent. Statewide job growth doesn’t mean AEC hiring is accelerating.

Data centers are changing the talent conversation.

California’s new data-center framework puts greater
emphasis on utility capacity, water, energy planning,
entitlement and infrastructure responsibility for developers.

POWER

WATER

ENTITLEMENT

ENERGY

INFRASTRUCTURE

This creates demand beyond traditional construction delivery.

Talent to watch:

  • Utility PMs
  • Civil/Site Leaders
  • Electrical Preconstruction
  • Energy & Water Engineers
  • Entitlement Managers
  • Environmental Planners
  • Commissioning Leaders
  • Project Controls

The question isn’t simply:
“Who’s hiring?”.

It's:

“Who has real work, where is it, and what talent does it require?”

That’s the conversation we’re tracking across the Western AEC market.

ParkerBeth Logo

Recruiting built around the realities of the AEC market.