Current state of market?

[Jaws]

I often wonder if the contracts are indeed paying lower or the pimps are just after a bigger cut as there's little work about and they want to cover their backs.

I had a call from an agent for a local role offering £300/day (which I wasn't interested in as I have a contract at the moment). He was very specific about the nature of the work and its location.

2 days later I spot an advert for what looked to be exactly the same job (same skill reqs + location) with a different agent for £150/day. Quite a margin if they can get it!

[Torran]

extended today til August. Same rate (30% lower than last year) but 25 min walk from house so musn't grumble.

[wurzel]

I've been told that I will be extended 6 months when my current contract runs out in June.

As a contingency, I've started putting my feelers out for other roles just in case they renege.
Searched Jobserve for any c# contracts within a 50 mile radius of Bath and it returned seven hits. Seven - and two of those were duplicates!
Pretty dire IMO.

[Numpty]

From Elan:

Re: JobServe Apply Online GBR JSJ51738A00061371

Hi, Thank you for your application. I have now received over a 1000 applications and therefore do not have the time to go through all of these applications in detail. So I can filter through these applications quicker, can I ask for a couple of details from you. Firstly I will require 2 references for compliancy when getting to interview stage and so to have these details before and be able to check on your previous standard of work and use this will strengthen your application. (please send me 2 contacts, email or number or already written ref)

Maybe I put "yesterday" down as "Date of Birth".

[Scotchpie]

Well this has never happened to me before. I've been asked to write my own business case for extending my contract which the dept manager will use as evidence of keeping me on.

hmmmm.... Think I can do that.

[SuperZ]

Well this has never happened to me before. I've been asked to write my own business case for extending my contract which the dept manager will use as evidence of keeping me on.

hmmmm.... Think I can do that.

Great management there then? You shouldn`t have to do that, they should know if they need you or not.

[BrowneIssue]

I'm on the bench in 3 weeks unless I can arrange something.

You are selling yourself all around ClientCo, aren't you? You are actually in the best possible place to get another gig.

Edit: They've given an extension to you on a plate. Get on with writing that business case...

[crimdon]

Well I've been on the bench now for 6 weeks. The only stuff I'm seeing are contracts on so low a rate its not worth it (and I really mean some of them are min wage) or low paid permie jobs. I've decided to go for a low paid permie job for the next couple of years. Applied for my old job back before I started contracting

[gingerjedi]

Well I've been on the bench now for 6 weeks. The only stuff I'm seeing are contracts on so low a rate its not worth it (and I really mean some of them are min wage) or low paid permie jobs. I've decided to go for a low paid permie job for the next couple of years. Applied for my old job back before I started contracting

That's what I'm thinking as I could spend the next 6/12/18 months chasing ever decreasing contract gigs whilst my life crumbles around me, better to be earning and training for any up turn should it ever come.

When I look at what I've earned over the past 24 months and the amount of time I've spent on the bench it just hasn’t been worth it considering the holidays and other benefits I would have had.

[chapeau]

I often wonder if the contracts are indeed paying lower or the pimps are just after a bigger cut as there's little work about and they want to cover their backs.

Suspect a bit of both. Though in my line (quite specialised which is good while jobs out there as few other applicants) there are just zero contract jobs right now - so hard to know what the going rate is.

Agencies also being very naughty right now about advertised salaries in permanent jobs. Nearly got lured by a call from Computer Futures (things are that bad, lol) but waited for another agency to advertise the same job then went through them instead. Turned out CFS had inflated the salary the employer was prepared to pay by a third. Same old games to get your application into the employer then they block any other agency using you.