After a bumpy three years the 2024 survey of the world’s 100 largest architectural practices suggests a sense of normality is returning to feelings about future work prospects. Optimism collapsed in 2021 after the pandemic and was followed by almost unprecedented hope in 2022 as pent-up demand boosted work prospects. The war in Ukraine, rampant inflation and a retreat from globalisation saw optimism drop back last year. This year the balance of optimism and pessimism for work prospects has recovered to match almost exactly that of 2020 just before the pandemic hit.