Three in four landscape architecture firm leaders reported steady or improving billable hours and inquiries in the Q2 2011 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Business Quarterly survey. The national survey findings reflect continuing optimism for recovery in a key sector of the design and construction industry.
Overall, 73.8% of firm leaders reported stable or above billable hours in the second quarter of 2011 – the strongest number in more than three years. In addition, 75.7% reported stable or above inquires for new work. The increase in work has yet to fully translate into jobs, with one in four (24.4%) of respondents planning to hire in the upcoming quarter.
“We’re seeing improvement across all sectors of the profession, but I want to caution that the findings also illustrate how little work existed for the profession over the past several years,” said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. “
The ASLA Business Quarterly survey also asked about the aging population during the past five years. Project types with the most growth include healthcare design (41.7%), assisted living facilities (36.5%), active adult/retirement communities (35.9%), therapeutic gardens (32%) and aging-in-place design (29.2%).
About the Survey
The ASLA Business Quarterly survey asks quarterly benchmarks on key statistics including billable hours, inquiries and hiring plans. The Q2 2011 national survey was fielded July 11 through 25, with 365 firm representatives responding.
View the full results online at: ASLA Survey Results.
