In response to ongoing labor challenges across the AEC industry, ENR Top 100 Professional Services Firms are reconfiguring operations to recruit helping hands where they need it most. Yet amid higher construction costs and increased resource competition, firms say there is pressure to reduce project risk, add value and prove their services are worth the price.

The AEC industry’s labor shortage-related challenges are far from new, yet inflated costs have raised the stakes even more around achieving project and profitability goals, according to comments from this year’s ENR Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee (CM) and Program Management (PM) listed firms. The result is a highly competitive market, says Top 100 firms, where some owners are doubling down on construction and program management services while others hold projects for better market conditions.