>>I saw a Wall Street firm actually run an auction for keypunch operators on the street during that crazy time.
>>They just kept upping the salary till they hired the number they needed. Of course the ones they hired jumped ship in a few days when they got better offers.
>
>Just curious, did those who signed up first get the rate at the time of signup, or did all of them get the max?

As I recall, they all got the max.

It was insane.

I was on the Wall Street subway station waiting for a train and some yelled "I'm a COBOL programmer!" and he got three offers on the spot.