I'd be interested in other people's views on how the current downturn is likely to affect the public affairs industry. There seem to be 2 schools of thought. One is that public affairs/Government relations budgets will start to get squeezed as companies and organisations look to cost-cut. The other school of thought is that, when times get tough, good communication with Government and other stakeholders is even more important, so canny companies will retain, if not develop, their communications and public affairs activity. My own view is that, in many cases, it will come down to the hiring manager's ability to persuade HR and other buyers of the importance of the public affairs/Government relations function.
But I'd be keen to hear what others think or are experiencing...