rates are going down

**DimPrawn** · 12 August 2008, 11:32

Are rates going down or are margins for agents going up?

I'm pretty sure this "credit crunch" bollox is agent speak for upping margins.

**dang65** · 12 August 2008, 11:43

Not seeing rates going down in web development. Much higher than this time last year, and they'd been quite static for several years before that.

**hgllgh** · 12 August 2008, 11:46

There may be pockets of that sort of behaviour from agents but reading between the lines there does seem to be low business confidence which may translate into lower rates. For example I was talking to my ex manager at Atos Origin .. a major consultancy, and they are "having a massive clampdown on contractor usage at the moment"

Also more contractors on the bench means greater competition for contracts .... it's almost as if businesses themselves are using the "credit crunch" as an excuse to lower rates even if they aren't really suffering....

**Malingering BA** · 12 August 2008, 11:53

Show them you're a real business by using the "credit crunch" as an excuse to raise your rate!

**DimPrawn** · 12 August 2008, 11:55

Originally posted by Malingering BA View Post

Show them you're a real business by using the "credit crunch" as an excuse to raise your rate!

RPI is 5%. Put your rates up and tell them to fook orf.

**voodooflux** · 12 August 2008, 11:56

Originally posted by hgllgh View Post

For example I was talking to my ex manager at Atos Origin .. a major consultancy, and they are "having a massive clampdown on contractor usage at the moment"

I spent a couple of years working for Atos Origin on a project for VOSA - they chose not to renew any of the contractors at one point, but then realised their mistake and tried to get some of them back, by which time it was too late as they'd all moved on to new things.

**Malingering BA** · 12 August 2008, 11:59

Originally posted by DimPrawn View Post

RPI is 5%. Put your rates up and tell them to fook orf.

Right on. That's what "real businesses" do.

**DimPrawn** · 12 August 2008, 12:01

http://www.jobstats.co.uk/jobstats.d/Rates.html

http://www.jobstats.co.uk/jobstats.d...80811.1431.png

A bit up and down, but rates look generally good.

Agents are trying it on. No doubt.

**hgllgh** · 12 August 2008, 12:18

Originally posted by DimPrawn View Post

RPI is 5%. Put your rates up and tell them to fook orf.

i like your argument

but if you tell them to fook off ..... they probably will leaving me out of work

rates are going down