Well, it certainly has been an interesting start to 2025. Welcome to our latest job market update for Architecture and Interior Design in Sydney.
Looking over the past few months, the year started off slowly. As we know, it can often be the case that January is not the best time in terms of hiring, but this year did seem particularly quiet and we even witnessed a number of redundancies post-Christmas. Once again it was mostly the larger practices whose bigger projects were mostly at completion, that were most deeply affected and resulted in some shedding of personnel.
One thing that we have certainly seen more over the last 6 months, (and has also been reported by my candidate pool), is how slow things are moving and how difficult it can be to get feedback or updates on the recruitment process. My view on why this is the case, is potentially down to one or a couple of the following factors:
- More candidates: There are definitely more applications for each role, coming in to Sydney, interstate and internationally. This volume of applications impacts the recruitment process.
- Project deadlines/ client decisions. We have had a number of candidates this year who have interviewed for roles but the position then has been placed on hold indefinitely, as hiring firms’ clients have ‘moved the goalposts’ on decision making and timelines.
- Cautious approach: Some companies are approaching the recruitment campaign cautiously, wanting to ‘test the water’ for candidates. This can often lead to a slow process whilst we wait for the unicorn candidate to materialise.
Architecture
Bearing the above in mind, generally speaking we are currently in somewhat of a two paced market. On the positive side we have a number of clients that have Multi-Unit Residential, Mixed-Use and Build to Rent projects that are starting to ramp up and therefore strong opportunities are being created in this sector. Architects that are registered with Class 2 Building and Design Practitioner Act experience are currently very much in demand. In fact, I would go so far as to say, that some practices are actually finding it tough to find good project running Architects with Multi-Unit Residential experience.
There have also been pockets of work in the Commercial, Hospitality and Industrial Sectors since the start of the year, but nothing like what has been described above. Multi-Residential projects are very much leading the way.
A further lowering of interest rates is likely to only increase the amount of Multi-Unit residential work in the market, so our advice to those with that type of background, is to get in touch with us if you are thinking about moving as it could be a great time to be putting yourself in the ‘shop window’!
On the opposite, less positive side of the fence, Government work, particularly in Health, Education and Infrastructure, has struggled. It seems that the usual ‘pre-election downturn’ has impacted these sectors much more and we will need to wait for a few months to see if things bounce back once the dust settles.
Interiors
The Interior Design job market has been steady enough, but overall, quite slow since the start of the year. There has definitely been a drop off in the amount of consistent high-end Residential work and a number of studios have been feeling the pinch in that area.
Workplace Design remains tough, with a lack of larger scale projects coming onto the market, forcing many companies to compete for smaller projects. This has a domino style impact on mid-sized, D&C and smaller studios across the board, with each scale bumping down the rung to compete for work.
Retail and Hospitality are the sectors where we have seen the most amount of positivity in Interiors. Candidates looking in these sectors currently have the most variety of roles on offer. As usual in Interiors, generally good mid-level candidates with strong all round skill sets are getting snapped up first, if they have the right project background. Ultimately though, Interiors is tighter across the board.
Outlook
Whilst it has been a tougher start to 2025, a fair amount of positivity does remain for the second half of 2025. Now that we have clarity on the Election results and with the likelihood of Interest Rates coming down this month, we are hoping to see some consistent confidence return to the market.
Like many sectors, both the Architecture and Interior Design job markets have always relied on confidence, on decisions being made and on positive intentions. There has been a lot of uncertainty over the last 12 months (especially coming out of the US) and there is no doubt that this has an impact on sentiment and, as a result, activity.
With all of this being said however, there is good work around, some outstanding new roles popping up, and I for one am excited to see what the rest of the year brings and to make things happen for both our Clients and Candidates!
Jamie Keay
Partner – Sydney