The Future is Bright for the Engineering and Construction Industries
Across the U.S., Civil Engineers are expected to see between a 10-17% employment growth-rate through 2014. Spurred by general population growth and an increased emphasis on infrastructure security, more civil engineers will be needed to design and construct safe and higher capacity transportation, water supply, and pollution control systems, as well as large buildings and building complexes. They also will be needed to repair or replace existing roads, bridges, and other public structures. Because construction and related industries—including those providing design services—employ many civil engineers, employment opportunities will vary by geographic area and may decrease during economic slowdowns, when construction often is curtailed. (U.S. Department of Labor)
In California, employment in the civil engineering profession is heavily influenced by fluctuations in construction activity and government hiring. While the supply of inexperienced graduates is generally adequate for the number of entry-level positions, there are shortages of highly-qualified engineers with particular skills and experience. The strongest demand for the next few years will most likely be in construction, transportation, energy production and distribution, environmental protection and seismic engineering. Due to greater reliance on computer technology in this field, opportunities will be especially good for Civil Engineers with training or experience in computer science. Seismic Engineers, Energy Production and Distribution Engineers, and Environmental Protection Engineers are in particular demand. (California Employment Development Department)