State of the Market

[BlueSharp]

Good times around the corner?

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-...m/services-pmi

The S&P Global UK Services PMI jumped to 55 in April of 2024 from 53.1 in the earlier month, pointing to the sixth consecutive period of expansion, at the sharpest pace in one year. Service providers enjoyed a sharp increase in new orders amid a turnaround in economic conditions for clients. Paired with lower backlogs of work, business activity also recorded a considerable increase. Still, figures from April pointed to an only marginal increase in staffing levels, with surveyees citing difficulties to fill vacancies and purposeful hesitation to take in staff due to the high costs of labor. In fact, elevated wage pressures drove input costs for service providers to rise the most since August 2023, with many noting the increase in the National Living Wage as an added pressure. In the meantime, companies remained upbeat about business activity prospects in the year ahead, pinned by signs of turnaround in client demand, forthcoming marketing initiatives, and long-term expansion plans. source: S&P Global

[Fraidycat]

Good times around the corner?

I look at the FTSE 250 for one indication of the state of the UK economy.

FTSE 250 is above 20,000 today. Which is good.

But needs to breakout above 21,000 to confirm a new uptrend and a potential end of the FTSE 250 bear market.

The FTSE 250 and UK contractor market have been highly correlated in the past. When the FTSE 250 gets back to all time highs, around 24000, the boom times for contractors should be back too. Although the contract market should start picking up a bit before that.

[edison]

To make it worse, the price of cold gravel has soared in recent years.

And cracked teacups, pieces of damp cloth and poison are much pricier too LOL...

But at least Chateau de Chasselas is still affordable for the rich.

[edison]

Got a perm role rejection today for a job I applied for almost a month ago. I've done the same role six times in various companies as a permie and contractor but the fact I even got a rejection is a minor victory to end the week

[BlueSharp]

Three out-of-the-blue calls from recruiters after months of radio silence. It's not much but it's just about a heartbeat in the market.

To be honest I'm enjoying telling them I'm on sabbatical when this contract finishes.

[Cookielove]

Got a perm role rejection today for a job I applied for almost a month ago. I've done the same role six times in various companies as a permie and contractor but the fact I even got a rejection is a minor victory to end the week

Getting a reply is a plus...I had two interviews for a perm role end of last year, one on Teams then second in person at their offices...they did not even get back to me. I put in a lot of effort...and nada!! They wanted ideas of x,y and z...think it was a con to get info on what to do

Am in a role but it is ending they have someone perm paying them c£50k , 20 years less experience...they can get people much younger/much cheaper....very demoralising the thought of looking again

[avonleigh]

Getting a reply is a plus...I had two interviews for a perm role end of last year, one on Teams then second in person at their offices...they did not even get back to me. I put in a lot of effort...and nada!! They wanted ideas of x,y and z...think it was a con to get info on what to do

Am in a role but it is ending they have someone perm paying them c£50k , 20 years less experience...they can get people much younger/much cheaper....very demoralising the thought of looking again

Had exactly the same. Initial teams call and then face to face, that was two weeks ago. Also, interviewed very well I thought. But the same, not got back to me. You kinda accept it with contracts. But when somebody has had two interviews, it's common decency to send a quick email to say thanks but no thanks. Quite annoyed by it.

[gables]

Had exactly the same. Initial teams call and then face to face, that was two weeks ago. Also, interviewed very well I thought. But the same, not got back to me. You kinda accept it with contracts. But when somebody has had two interviews, it's common decency to send a quick email to say thanks but no thanks. Quite annoyed by it.

Disagree slightly; I'm happy not to get an acknowledgement for an application being received or that I haven't got an interview. However, if I get an interview by Teams or face to face then I expect a contact\email informing me of my success or not, especially if I've travelled for the interview, contract or permie it doesn't matter as at this stage they've whittled down the candidates to a handful. So if this happened (which thankfully it hasn't as I've always been told following an interview) then I'd be inclined to think I'd dodged a bullet.

[Fraidycat]

Had exactly the same. Initial teams call and then face to face, that was two weeks ago. Also, interviewed very well I thought. But the same, not got back to me.

What kind of companies are these?

If going through an agent then the agent chases feedback, if going direct then there is normally a HR person or similar in the mix who will send the rejection email?

[dsc]

Got a perm role rejection today for a job I applied for almost a month ago. I've done the same role six times in various companies as a permie and contractor but the fact I even got a rejection is a minor victory to end the week

Best rejections are those for Easy Apply's via LI, after several months, when you no longer even remember you applied

Seen an ad yesterday for a tech lead position for some automation tulipe somewhere in the UK, salary range was 40k - 80k who the hell comes up with this crap?