I keep hearing everyone say AutoCAD is dead, but I checked the BLS stats from 2023 and drafting jobs actually grew 3%

I was digging through the Bureau of Labor Statistics site last night because my cousin keeps telling me to switch to BIM. The numbers showed 2,800 new drafting positions added that year, not a decline. Has anyone else noticed the actual data doesn't match what people say at conferences?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.mary18d ago

Those stats don't account for the industries where AutoCAD jobs actually shrank though.

adam_robinson18d ago

Right, but that's like saying the Titanic didn't sink because some of the deck chairs were still dry. The BLS lumps all drafting together, so you're mixing up 2D detailers with the guys fighting in Revit. It's a nice headline, but the real world feels a lot more like a shrinking island for plain AutoCAD.