Some Boom....

[AtW]

I've just had a backlog of agents wanting me - some even asked when the new contract finished in order to contact me again (and no - amazingly they didn't even bother to pump me for details of said new
contract... )

Is it because you include your photo in your CV?

[cojak]

Absolutely.

I've just had a backlog of agents wanting me - some even asked when the new contract finished in order to contact me again (and no - amazingly they didn't even bother to pump me for details of said new contract... )

[Liability]

I had a meal with a friend of mine last night (not at Ramsays I might add, a more modest Chinese!), who is a business development manager for a Big 5 Bank.

He has a number of recruitment agents in his portfolio and he was telling me that they have plenty of Client Co's with more work than they can shake a stick at, but the problem is there are no contractors on the market!

In the current climate permies are staying put instead of making the leap in to contracting and contractors are taking extensions where offered, rather than refusing them to look for new contracts at better rates or whatever else motivates them.

It's a little apocryphal I know and I have no proof of its truth or not, but it's a new dimension on the story.

I posted the very same thing in November

I have a total sum of two agents that I try and use regularly and both say the same. They have architect roles [lots] but they cant get Contractors as they are extending where they are - and Permies are def not moving due to there inherent low esteem attitudes lol.

However - Id suspect that there are now more contactors on the market for select roles. For example PM's there would be a large bunch Id suspect - and no doubt this will follow into other areas. My niche isnt to bad as there arent many enterprise / infrastructre architects as there are PM's and what not...so Im still hoping of a results by the end of Jan at the latest [he says].

[deano]

I had a meal with a friend of mine last night (not at Ramsays I might add, a more modest Chinese!), who is a business development manager for a Big 5 Bank.

He has a number of recruitment agents in his portfolio and he was telling me that they have plenty of Client Co's with more work than they can shake a stick at, but the problem is there are no contractors on the market!

In the current climate permies are staying put instead of making the leap in to contracting and contractors are taking extensions where offered, rather than refusing them to look for new contracts at better rates or whatever else motivates them.

It's a little apocryphal I know and I have no proof of its truth or not, but it's a new dimension on the story.

[Liability]

With the gloom comes some boom

Asda reports 'solid' seasonal sales
Last Updated: Wednesday, 31 December 2008, 05:10 GMT


Supermarket chain Asda has reported a "solid" Christmas trading performance with sales ahead of its own expectations.

The retail giant said in the week before Christmas, its 356 UK stores served 1.3 million more customers than the previous year.

December 23 was its biggest ever trading day with sales "significantly" ahead of 2007's busiest day, it said.

In the seven days before Christmas, eight stores - Boldon, Havant, Minworth, Derby, Longwell Green, Gateshead, Eastleigh and Swindon Haydon - recorded sales greater than £4 million, 47 stores surpassed £3 million and 176 stores saw sales greater than £2 million.

Asda president and chief executive officer Andy Bond said: "As we anticipated, Christmas came very late with parents buying practical presents such as slippers and dressing gowns for each other but still making sure their kids' stockings were full on Christmas morning.

"Food sales, as expected, held up well as customers didn't stint on food and drink to share with family and friends."

He added: "2008 has been one of our best years and we have rounded it off in style with Christmas sales ahead of our expectations.

"As we enter 2009, it is value retailers like Asda who offer genuine value for money who will win out as customers struggle to make ends meet."

http://money.aol.co.uk/asda-reports-...31944156453969