[CSSer]

I can anecdotally attest that the market, at least in agency spaces, has definitely shifted to offshoring/outsourcing mode. I think it’s a reaction to our swelling salaries during the pandemic during the hiring craze, and like always, although they think it’s different this time, I think it’ll swing back once they realize (again) that there is more to our jobs than just pounding out lines of code, outsourced business interests don’t always align with their own, and dealing with the extra communication lag is a headache.

As for the sluggishness, I listened to an interesting podcast called Marketplace[0] last night that said, at least according to the latest jobs numbers, we’re now in what you’d call a “normal” pre-pandemic market. The thing is, the market has been crazy the last few years, and that makes the current state of things feel worse than it really is for some. I can’t decide if I agree or not. I’m seeing postings at my LOE, at least.

However, I think all of this is also heavily dependent on YOE and skill level. AI is a compounding factor that, in combination with the outsourcing, means that people with less work experience are probably having a harder time catching a break.

[0] https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace/wheres-the-ai-...