... which is, of course, a matter of timing in different markets.

Right now, in Australia, in certain sections of IBM GS they'd be clamouring to pay the additional salary.

It's less than the average annual increase in some IT salaries in Australia at the moment, particularly when added to recruitment and the opportunity costs thereof.

Straight economics.

Without knowing the situation in full it is difficult to comment. It may well be a case of the job not being sold at the right price to the client in the first place.

Heaven forbid the sales team would underquote !!!1