A/E Industry Shows Resiliency in the Face of National Economic Volatility

The Census Bureau released its 2025 3rd Quarter Quarterly Services Survey (QSS). This data includes revenue for the design and engineering services performed by architecture and engineering companies.

The third quarter of 2025 showed a continued improvement from the negative growth in the A/E services industry at the start of the year. Total revenue for the quarter was $124.4b, an increase of 0.8% compared to the second quarter, and up 4.6% year over year. This year-over-year growth was the lowest since the first quarter of 2021.

The revenue data for the industry shows resiliency compared to the volatility and uncertainty that has affected other areas of the U.S. economy over the past year.

Source: US Census, Quarterly Services Survey, December 2025 Release

This resiliency is evident in employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics (CES). After a brief decline in August 2025, employment has continued to rise. Total employees in the A/E services industry totaled 1.76 million for November 2025. This represents an increase of 0.3% compared to October and a 2.3% increase year over year. This is in contrast to the national unemployment rate rising to 4.6% in November.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, December 2025