Engineering Outlook 2025: Growth, Tariffs & the Workforce Crunch

2025-11-07

In this episode, we sit down with Jon Gray of Rockport Analytics. He shares an in-depth look at the economic outlook for the engineering and design industry. Gray explores how firms are navigating a complex landscape — balancing continued revenue and employment growth with new challenges on the horizon. He discusses the slower-than-expected rollout of IIJA funds, uncertainty surrounding tariffs, and the growing strain of workforce shortages influenced by immigration trends. The conversation a...

In this episode, we sit down with Jon Gray of Rockport Analytics. He shares an in-depth look at the economic outlook for the engineering and design industry.

Gray explores how firms are navigating a complex landscape — balancing continued revenue and employment growth with new challenges on the horizon. He discusses the slower-than-expected rollout of IIJA funds, uncertainty surrounding tariffs, and the growing strain of workforce shortages influenced by immigration trends.

The conversation also turns toward the future: how artificial intelligence could become both a productivity catalyst and a transformative force, reshaping how engineering firms manage projects, talent, and technology.

Whether you’re an industry leader, economist, or engineer, this episode offers valuable insights into what’s driving today’s market — and what lies ahead for the business of engineering.

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