State of the Market

[Fraidycat]

I was just watching an interview with a tech sector worker in the US who had been out work for more than two years.

It seems tech workers in the US are having a hard time as well.

The guy mentioned in passing that he had got divorced recently and sold his house. Wasn't the focus of the interview at all, but got me googling the sats: around 1 in 5 couples will divorce when the main breadwinner (the man usually) has been out work for more than a year.

He mentioned he was doing 'Uber eats' and Task Rabbit for some income.

I hadn't heard of Task Rabbit before, and there seems to be UK site. Getting paid for doing odd jobs for people, like assembling Ikea furniture.

[SussexSeagull]

Well, I was quite optimistic about the market improving a few weeks ago after a flurry of activity, but it's clear to me now that it's gotten worse, a LOT worse, if that were even possible.

It's difficult to see it ever returning to any kind of normality now.

Things might be packing up for Summer, although it is hard to conceive things slowing up more than they are at the moment.

[SchumiStars]

I was just watching an interview with a tech sector worker in the US who had been out work for more than two years.

It seems tech workers in the US are having a hard time as well.

The guy mentioned in passing that he had got divorced recently and sold his house. Wasn't the focus of the interview at all, but got me googling the sats: around 1 in 5 couples will divorce when the main breadwinner (the man usually) has been out work for more than a year.

He mentioned he was doing 'Uber eats' and Task Rabbit for some income.

I hadn't heard of Task Rabbit before, and there seems to be UK site. Getting paid for doing odd jobs for people, like assembling Ikea furniture.

Whichever way you cut it, women don't want bottom feeders

Being solvent, fit and healthy are main criteria from what I can see. Being a musician or artist might get you a shag here and there but having acumen, desire and focus to provide are big endosments.

Being married for XX years does not negate that in any I am afraid. It probably endoses it TBF, in the sense that if this guy can't provide for me, I will find someone who will.

I have officially started my 2nd year out-of-contract. And yes, I have ordered a cake

Just got back from the gym, getting strong again.

[SussexSeagull]

I was just watching an interview with a tech sector worker in the US who had been out work for more than two years.

It seems tech workers in the US are having a hard time as well.

The guy mentioned in passing that he had got divorced recently and sold his house. Wasn't the focus of the interview at all, but got me googling the sats: around 1 in 5 couples will divorce when the main breadwinner (the man usually) has been out work for more than a year.

He mentioned he was doing 'Uber eats' and Task Rabbit for some income.

I hadn't heard of Task Rabbit before, and there seems to be UK site. Getting paid for doing odd jobs for people, like assembling Ikea furniture.

Few years back I was contracting at a Digital Media agency and they needed about 100 iPads to have an app installed for use at an event and they got a couple of people in to do out via Task Rabbit.

For all the soul searching amongst us contractors, while we have some local issues like IR35, the problem is with the wider IT industry and even white collar work,

[AndyGarbs]

It is July 1st today, so we are 3 years into this downturn, apparently it started in July 2022.

I wonder if anyone here has had the misfortune to have been on the bench since 2022?

Since September 2022

Sorry, just catching up - in lovely sunny Portugal

[willendure]

I hadn't heard of Task Rabbit before, and there seems to be UK site. Getting paid for doing odd jobs for people, like assembling Ikea furniture.

But I work in IT?? I'm gonna need a high-level design document for that, and some wireframes for the UI, and then sign off from the PM before I can estimate how long putting your Ikea furniture together is going to take (3 sprints).

[oliverson]

These parasites again....

Senior Software Engineer

Edinburgh, ML - 225.0
Contract
Posted by: eTeam Workforce Limited
Posted: Wednesday, 9 July 2025


List of skills as long as your arm including over 5+ years experience and Machine Learning, all for the princely sum of £ 225.

[Skag]

These parasites again....

Senior Software Engineer

Edinburgh, ML - 225.0
Contract
Posted by: eTeam Workforce Limited
Posted: Wednesday, 9 July 2025


List of skills as long as your arm including over 5+ years experience and Machine Learning, all for the princely sum of £ 225.

Currently on £360pd inside IR35. This is half of what my second client was back in 2022. But, it pays the bills so I can't complain much, in this economy too.

Me->Indian Agency->Indian consultancy->UK bank. I would think the UK bank is paying something like £800pd.

[Dorkeaux]

Currently on £360pd inside IR35. This is half of what my second client was back in 2022. But, it pays the bills so I can't complain much, in this economy too.

Me->Indian Agency->Indian consultancy->UK bank. I would think the UK bank is paying something like £800pd.

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I've been getting multiple Linkedin messages and some emails every day from Indian recruiters working for Indian agencies, placing in (what I take to be) Indian consultancies for UK clients.

I'm always polite, but so far none of them have mentioned a rate I would consider taking.
Not, I hasten to add, because I'm awesome and better than you (Shumster). Only that I'm under contract and for the moment the market doesn't require me to.

The glut of these organisations lately would indicate that there is profit to be made squeezing yourself between the worker and the client.
Which makes me think that Oliverson is correct, and it's a new blight of parasites.

[TheDude]

I have enough to live on for a year but am considering doing some bicycle food delivery to keep fit and to reduce the attrition rate on my savings.