2nd April 2009, 04:13 PM
I can't comment on the accommodation/tax problems, but on the issue of lower pay only attracting inexperienced staff:
In Ireland we're seeing not a drop in the standard of archaeologist in the jobs market, but a massive rise in the availability of skilled personnel. Licenced directors are very nearly begging to be employed as site assistants. With demand in free-fall, there has been a lowering of financial expectation on the staff side of the equation - and from the companies side, a writing down of 'asset value' with assets in this case being staff.
In Ireland we're seeing not a drop in the standard of archaeologist in the jobs market, but a massive rise in the availability of skilled personnel. Licenced directors are very nearly begging to be employed as site assistants. With demand in free-fall, there has been a lowering of financial expectation on the staff side of the equation - and from the companies side, a writing down of 'asset value' with assets in this case being staff.