This causes a period of furious activity followed by a quieter period of assimilation. Caught in the middle in these uneasy economic times is the inventor, the hero of the new economy. Some technologists complain that they have had trouble raising money for ideas that a year ago would have been shoo-ins for funding. That isn't to say they are out of work. Jobs for skilled tech workers are still plentiful.
Pay is still good.
But more than a few engineers are now finding themselves doing what amounts to virtual construction work, such as creating bill-payment or shopping systems, or securing corporate networks. Last year 80 percent of the technical jobs were creative, new. We've seen a complete reversal in the job market. It's not fun, innovative stuff anymore. That transformation hasn't been good for morale.